Mirage
by AvengersPrincess15
Summary: Daphne Collins, a mutant with extraordinary abilities, is called into the Avengers Initiative when the God of Mischief, Loki, steals the Tesseract. She grows close to a certain Captain but will anything come of it? Especially when a new threat appears around the corner? Warnings for swearing.
1. Prologue

_Prologue; England, 1996. Night._

Jared Collins smiled at the scene in front of him; the picture of happiness. His wife, Adelaide, was sat with their daughter, watching her play the piano. Daphne had unusual intelligence and understanding for an eight year old, so learning the piano was almost as easy as walking. He marvelled at the way in which she played; the ease at how her small fingers danced across the keys, playing soft, tinkling music that could bring tears to the eyes.

She was special.

From her early years, Jared and Adelaide knew something was different about their child. Unexplainable things would happen around her, things that could not be of natural cause, and unfortunately people had noticed this. They had shunned her, labelled her as a 'pathetic mutant', a 'waste of space'. And so, they'd had to move. Of course, her parents hadn't minded; they loved her no matter what, and would protect her with every fibre of their being. Moving was no problem at all.

As he watched them, smiling tenderly, he could see the similarities they both held. The same soft, mahogany locks that would shine auburn in the sunlight; the same deep, ice blue eyes, alight with life. She had her mother's caring nature and spirit, yet had his sarcastic tendencies, his wit, and his ability to say whatever ran through his head - with no regard for the consequences.

He was torn out of his reverie by the sound of tires screeching. His eyebrows furrowed as he walked over to the kitchen, looking out of the windows. Through the heavy rain, he saw 2 black SUV's, armed MI5 agents, spilling out of them - heading towards the house. Adrenaline ran through him as he ran back to his wife and child, only thoughts, of getting them safe, in his head.

"Adelaide," he called out, firmly, to her.

She turned immediately at his urgent tone, eyes showing concern. "What's wrong?"

"We need to go now. Right now." His voice left no room for argument, and she quickly grabbed Daphne, now hearing the men outside. There was no time to run, and they didn't have a hope of fighting them all off.

"We need to hide her, Jared," Adelaide whispered, so her daughter wouldn't hear - eyes wide with terror. She would not let them get her child.

Her husband swiftly led them to a closet, just outside the kitchen, and gently pushed Daphne inside. "Stay in here, darling. Whatever you do, do not leave this room."

"What's going on?" She whimpered, obviously understanding there was danger around.

Her parents just exchanged glances, not knowing what to say about this situation. How could they burden their sweet, little child, with the cold truths of the world?

Adelaide knelt down next to her daughter, wincing at the sound of men entering their house. "Just think of this as a game, sweetheart," she murmured, tears burning her eyes. "A game of hide and seek. You have to stay in here until we call out for you, okay?"

Daphne stared at her mother for a moment. "Okay..." She answered, in a weak voice.

The footsteps were slowly edging closer. Adelaide pulled her daughter in for a tight hug. "I love you," she choked out, kissing her forehead.

Jared bent to give his child a kiss, pouring all of his emotions into it. "Stay strong, baby girl. I love you," he whispered, tears falling down his face.

They hurriedly closed the door - knowing if they lingered any more, the men would find her - and walked towards where the armed group were, inside the kitchen.

They caught sight of the parents and automatically raised their weapons at them. There were at least a dozen, all dressed in black MI5 uniform, armed to the teeth.

"Where's the kid?" The one in front demanded; his voice cold and callous.

"Safe. Far away from here," the father answered, never wavering in his response. "You'll never have her."

"You can either tell me willingly, or unwillingly. Either way, we're gonna find out."

"I doubt that," Adelaide remarked, hatred, for the men, burning through her eyes.

The first man eyed them carefully. They had been on the run for God knows how long; had hidden the child so meticulously, up until now, that it had them constantly running in circles.

"Look around. Leave no place unchecked," he ordered, and the men slowly fanned out around the house.

Daphne's parents sharply looked at each other, knowing that if the men searched the house, they would surely find her. They both had to create a diversion; a distraction, and they would happily lay down their lives to protect the child they loved. They gripped the others hand tightly, staring into each other's eyes - communicating emotions that could never be said through simple words. They knew what they had to do.

Jared lunged at the nearest mercenary with a swift right hook to the man's jaw, relishing when he heard it break, moving on to the next man, while Adelaide stumbled towards a drawer and seized a carving knife. She waved it around frantically, making a deep gash on the cheek of the nearby agent. He span back to face her, anger marring his features, as he snatched the knife from her, restraining her wrists. She used the opportunity to knee him in the nether regions, watching as he keeled over in pain, before taking his weapon to arm herself, unbeknownst to them that Daphne was secretly watching, through a small gap in the door.

The other MI5 agents heard the commotion in the kitchen, and moved to intervene, weapons drawn. Both parents clutched the weapons from the indisposed agents, and open fired on the remaining mercenaries, killing several instantly, causing a retaliation of gunfire.

Jared felt an incredible pain to the left of his chest, placing one hand over the wound whilst continuing fire upon the agents. He glanced over, for a split second, at his wife, to see blood pouring from her right shoulder. He killed a few more gunmen before collapsing in agony, bleeding to death on the kitchen floor. Adelaide, distracted by her dying husband, sustained two more gunshot wounds to her abdomen, and immediately crumpled to the ground in exhaustion - pale and sweating.

The mother and father locked eyes instantly. It soon became hard for them to breathe normally, their vision soon turned blurred as they got closer to the inevitable oblivion. They both prayed for their daughter, in their last fading moments, and whispered their final "I love you's" before being slowly carried off into the darkness forever, dying as husband and wife.

The MI5 agents checked their pulses, concluding that they were dead, before carrying on the search for the girl.

Daphne had been staring at the scene in horror, watching, through the small gap in the closet, as her parents gradually died, sobbing silently - so as not to draw attention to herself. She stealthily opened the closet door fully, staggering towards the bodies of her dead parents, falling to her knees next to them. She leaned over and kissed their foreheads tenderly - clutching the necklace, which her parents had given her for her birthday. It was a simple silver chain with an infinity symbol on it; the word 'love' on the edge. She felt tears pour down her face as she made her way to the back door, taking one last glance at her parents, before taking off into the rain. She ran through the forests that surrounded her house, thunder rumbling ominously as she tried to escape the horrors she saw.

 _ **I do not own anything besides Daphne and her awesomeness. Marvel owns everything else. What did you think? I haven't written many fanfictions so please be gentle with me.**_

 _ **Love you guys**_

 _ **Jess xo**_


	2. And so it begins

And so it begins...

 ** _Present day;_**  
 _New York, 2012 - Starbucks_ _._ _Afternoon_ _._ ** _Daphne_**

The small café in the middle of New York was quiet, everybody tired after a long day at work. The sky had started to set and was a beautiful concoction of red, orange and purple, indicating that the evening was close by.

Daphne Collins was sitting down at a table - nearest to the windows, taking a sip of her coffee, quietly reading the newspaper in front of her whilst oblivious to the people milling around outside. The headline said; **MUTANT CRISIS INCREASING**. She scoffed to herself. Most people were always so quick to judge anyone that was different. The prejudices stemmed either from fear or jealousy, though she suspected the latter. People were going on and on about their 'horrific' experiences with mutants; that they 'feared for their lives', when in reality they saw a mutant accidentally move something by looking at it.

She clenched her jaw, trying to relieve some of the existing tension she felt. Throughout the last few weeks, she had somehow managed to resist the urge to murder somebody with her bare hands - _well, except for that one time_ \- deciding that it wasn't worth the bollocking she would get from Fury.

 _'Pathetic mutant'_

 _'Killed anyone today, freak?'_

After many rude - and downright vulgar - comments, she felt like she was going to explode with pure aggravation. Of course, not _everyone_ in SHIELD was completely cruel to her, but that didn't lessen the resentment she felt - as if being different was a crime.

She could understand where some of the comments had stemmed from - there were quite a few mutants who decided to use the extra 'abilities' for the purpose of hurting others, but she, herself, had never given anyone any reason to think the same of her.

But people would always argue with her about looking innocent just to plot against them and slaughter them all.

Come on, did she look like a criminal mastermind? _Obviously! Jim Moriarty and I meet up for coffee every sunday, to discuss world domination and how to destroy Sherlock. Bwahahah!_

And the ones that didn't want her dead? Oh yes, they wanted to use her as a lab rat! _Such lovely people I work with._

Sighing to herself, she quickly turned the page, when she heard someone sit on the chair opposite her, followed by a quick exhale of breath.

"Tough day?"

She glanced up towards the voice that was very familiar, smiling once she saw who it was. "Isn't it always?"

Sitting before her was none other than Agent Phil Coulson of SHIELD, dressed in his usual black suit. He smiled at her, setting down a briefcase on the floor next to him.

"Afterall, I am the 'freak of the decade'," she continued offhandedly.

Phil looked like he was about to scold her about her negative attitude, so she decided to quickly defuse any comment he was about to make. "So anyway, what's up?"

"The sky," he quipped instantly, making Daphne send him an 'are you kidding me' look.

"Hardy-har-har, Philly. You should've been a comedian. My stomach hurts from laughing too much," she deadpanned in a monotonous voice.

He feigned a look of intense pride, even going so far as to mock-bow at her - well, as best he can whilst sitting down - which brought a small grin to her lips. She then noticed an unusual glint in his eyes, recognising it as excitement.

"Seriously, though. You look like a kid on Christmas day. What's got you so hyped up? Thinking about Captain America again?" She jibed, playing on the fact that he _adored_ and idolised the legendary super-solider. When the Captain had been found, Phil had been more excited than a geek at a ComiCon convention. Not that there's anything wrong with that. _Fangirls and fanboys unite!_

"I have a little job for you," he answered vaguely, turning red at her previous comment.

Daphne raised both eyebrows at the comment. "That's _all_ you're gonna tell me? And anyway, Fury put me on leave after I almost strangled Sitwell."

He stared blankly at her for a few moments before coughing, as if covering up a laugh. "Why does that not surprise me?"

"Because you know he deserves it."

Phil seemed to nod in agreement, but it was so small that Daphne couldn't tell. Probably due to something like not being rude to co-workers or some such baloney. He took a large gulp of his cup of tea which the mutant didn't notice he had.

 _Ew._

She scrunched up her nose in distaste. "How can you drink that crap?"

"It's an aquired taste."

"Damn right," she muttered, remembering when Phil had once forced her to try the poisonous substance, then stated louder. "It's been a while, Phil."

"You know you could've picked up the phone," he chastised her, like a parent might tell off a child.

"Aww, did ickle Philly-poo miss me? How sweet," she cooed in a baby voice.

He just sat and stared at her, unamused.

She coughed awkwardly.

"Woah, tough crowd," she joked, causing Phil to cock an eyebrow at her. "Just trying to diffuse the _tension_. Hey, I'm sorry. I've been a bit busy _trying_ to integrate myself into the life of a normal person," she replied, dryly.

"Hmm, and how's that going for you?" He wondered, a smirk playing on his lips.

"Well, all I can say is that I've learnt two things. One; the best place for a decent cup of coffee," she gestured around her to illustrate the point. "And two; that 'normal' is boring."

It was true. For the past few days that she had been on leave, she practically died of boredom. Her SHIELD instincts had kicked in tenfold. If someone looked at her wrong, she would automatically deduce the weak-spots of the person and how many ways she could take them out. Yeah, 'normal' didn't work for her, even if it was only temporary.

Phil chucked fondly, at her. "Well, I might be able to make things more interesting for you."

Daphne leaned forward in anticipation, laughing. "Is this that 'job' you were talking about earlier or something different?"

"It's different but it's not."

"Because that makes sense," she quipped sarcastically.

"Hey, I'm giving you something to do. Do you want it or not?" He snapped.

The woman sighed before smiling at him, widely. "A man after my own heart. What have you got for me?"

He pulled out a file from his briefcase and opened it, showing a picture of blue, glowing cube. "This is the Tesseract. An ancient Asgardian artifact of immense power."

She took a gulp of coffee and glanced up at the middle aged man in bewilderment, raising her eyebrows. "It's a box... A _box,_ Phil."

He laughed slightly. "It's a very powerful box, Daph. It was placed under SHIELD's protection to make sure it didn't fall in the wrong hands."

She nodded, though still apprehensive. "So, exactly how powerful is this thing?"

"Back in World War two, a man named Johann Schmidt used it to create weapons that could disintegrate humans on touch." He sighed softly when her eyes widened. "Now, it's been taken by an Asgardian god called Loki, along with a SHIELD agent and the astrophysicist, Erik Selvig."

 _I stand corrected... That's one ass-kicking box._

She bristled at the last piece of information. "A SHIELD agent?" Phil nodded, a grim expression on his face.

Daphne suddenly became worried at his inability to look her in the eyes. "Who?"

Coulson still tried to evade her probing gaze, instead taking a gulp of his tea.

"Phil? _Who_?" She asked again - more like demanded.

The agent sighed heavily before glancing up at her with something akin to sympathy. "Clint Barton."

Daphne exhaled sharply, blue eyes hardening. Clint was a close friend of hers - he was the brother she never had. "Okay, so what do you want _me_ to do? I know I'm awesome, but does it look like I can take on a _god_?"

"We want you to join the Avengers Initiative." She stammered, starting to protest, but Phil cut her off. "With your gifts, your _abilities_ , you could be a part of saving the world."

"Oh, come on, Phil," she complained exasperatedly. "You know Fury trusts me as much as he trusts Clint to drive him to Australia, drunk and blindfolded."

He chuckled. "That's an interesting analogy."

Daphne nodded once in indignation. "It's the truth."

"Well, if you won't do it for Fury or for SHIELD, do it for the human race. For me. For _Barton_ ," he compromised with a pointed look, knowing she couldn't resist it.

She stayed silent for a few moments. _Saving the world?_ Is she even capable of contributing towards that? She'd probably end up triggering a worldwide disaster. And even if she did help to protect the world, she doubted that many people would be so appreciative when they realised that she was a mutant. But could she stay away, knowing that innocent people would get hurt or killed? And she owed this to Clint. She weighed up her options.

There was practically no decision to make.

"Bloody hell Phil, you certainly know how to spice up a girl's life," she smirked. "Where do I sign up?"

》》》》》》

They left the coffee shop not long after, Daphne gratefully accepting a ride back to her apartment, still clutching the SHIELD file. The mutant and the agent strolled along the pavement, walking towards Phil's car. Daphne felt a prickling sensation run down her spine and turned, scanning the area quickly. Directly across the road from her was a tall man, dressed all in black with sunglasses on. _Why he's wearing sunglasses in the evening, I'll never know._ Through the shades, she could swear that he was staring right at her.

"What is it?" Phil asked concerned at her abrupt halt, looking in the direction of her gaze.

She took her eyes off the man for a split-second to glance over at Coulson. When she focused her gaze back to the other side of the road, she noticed that the mysterious man had disappeared.

She shook her head in disbelief. _Man, I gotta sleep more._

"Nothing," she answered, slightly on edge. "I just thought I saw something."

They carried on walking until they reached Phil's black SUV. Daphne threw herself into the car and they drove in silence for a few minutes, Coulson driving with Daphne in the passenger seat.

"So, do you have any questions?" The male agent asked her.

"Only a few hundred or so," she answered, offhandedly.

"Here we go," Phil joked sardonically. "Okay, shoot."

"Do I get a cool superhero name?" She asked in a serious tone, as though she were contemplating the meaning of life.

He couldn't hold in the laugh at her childish query.

"Hey!" she yelled, punching his arm, though the grin contradicted her anger.

"Yes, wittle Daphy can have a cool name, if she wants," he mocked, mimicking her earlier babyish remark.

"Watch it, Philadelphia. Watch it." She smirked at her choice of words, knowing it hit a spot with him.

They both scowled at eachother, though it was in good-nature. She was incredibly grateful that she had Phil in her life. He was a strong father figure to her after her parents had been killed, when she was young. She shuddered minutely at the memory, shaking it out of her thoughts. Phil had been there to help pick up the pieces, teaching her, comforting her, despite the fact that she carried the 'X gene'.

Soon enough, they arrived at her apartment. They both stepped out of the car, Daphne starting to walk towards the stairs, leading to her floor. "Thanks for the ride, Phil."

"Someone will be round to take you to the quinjet in the morning and there's some extra information on the people you'll be working with inside the file. But before I go, I want to give you something." He walked to the boot of the car, opening it and pulling a large, rectangular package out. He gave it to her, his eyes twinkling with mischief.

"What is this?" She asked cautiously, eyeing the box as if it held a bomb inside.

"Why don't you open it and see?"

She tucked the file under her arm and hesitated before slowly opening the box, her eyes widening when she glanced at the fabric inside.

"What. The. Hell. Is. This?"

"You're welcome," he muttered.

"Phil! What the hell?!" She demanded, looking at the knee length black dress with distaste.

"Well, my dear Daphy, you need to look professional for when you recruit Captain America, right? Knowing you, you'd arrive in your pyjamas." He wore a shit-eating grin on his face.

"W-what?" She spluttered. " _This_ was that 'job' thing?"

"Yep," he beamed, making it clear that he enjoyed her discomfort.

"Bu-but..."

"See you later, sweetheart," he called cheerfully, getting into his car and driving away. She stood there, gaping at the back of his retreating vehicle.

 _I will get my revenge, Philly._

She climbed the steps to her apartment, grumbling the whole way about lack of communication and different ways of suitable payback. Unlocking her front door, she stalked inside, tossing the file onto the nearby kitchen counter and starting to make a cup of coffee - despite the fact that she had one not ten minutes ago. _Ah well, you can never have enough coffee._

While she was waiting for the kettle to boil, she flipped through the file, wanting to absorb as much information as she could. She stopped once she noticed some information about Captain America, deciding that she wouldn't read anything about him. She wanted him to tell her about himself, on his own.

She flipped back towards the information on the Tesseract, becoming more and more grim about the possibility of it being unleashed onto innocent civilians.

She glanced back at the box with the dress inside and sighed heavily, walking to the kitchen to make her coffee. She brought the mug into the living room and grabbed her sketchpad to start a new drawing, her head filled with thoughts of the Tesseract, pizza and Captain America. _Can't complain about the boredom anymore._

 ** _This has been edited but it doesn't really change any of the plot._**

 ** _Love you all_**  
 ** _-Jess xo_**


	3. Don't call me ma'am

"Don't call me ma'am"

 _Brooklyn Gym. New York. Night._ _ **Daphne**_

Daphne smiled to herself as she walked into the building. She had decided to ditch the dress - sorry Phil - in favour for her workout clothes - which consisted of black three-quarter length leggings and a black sports bra with a pair of black running shoes. _I guess SHIELD's weird fetish with black has rubbed off on me._

She had thought that the Captain probably wouldn't appreciate some random woman in uniform to just barge in on his workout, so she figured she would release some tension in the gym. Where he just _happened_ to be. _What a coinkydink._

The mutant skipped towards a set of double-doors, pulling her duffel bag higher towards her shoulder and paused when she heard the distinct sound of punching. She slowly pushed the doors open and peered inside. _Mother of all things Holy._

Steve Rogers was pummelling a punchbag as if the world depended on it, demonstrating his raw strength as his hits became progressively harder. His blonde hair was plastered to his head and face with sweat, his icy blue eyes filled with cold - _see what I did there? Okay, not funny_ \- determination.

Daphne quietly made her way around him, careful not to disturb him, towards the boxing ring and sat on the rope that travelled along the edges, watching him pour all of his energy into the bag, his muscles rippling underneath his tight, white T-shirt. _Definitely swoon-worthy._

He seemed to be teeming with unresolved tension, and she could understand why. From what little she knew about him, she knew that he had been frozen for about seventy years - leaving him smack-bang into the middle of a new century. It would make _anyone_ anxious.

She jumped down from the ring and decided to do something productive as she waited for the super-solider, figuring that Rogers was too far into his workout to notice her. She ruffled through her bag, muttering to herself about having too much crap in her bag - which was true. _You could probably find a baby giraffe in there, if you looked hard enough._

Daphne pulled out her hand wraps and started to wrap her hands up. _*Gasp* I wouldn't have guessed._ She shook her head at the internal sarcasm, briefly wondering if there was something wrong with her brain, before deciding _'yes'_.

She moved towards several punchbags, that were hazardously scattered along with floor, and picked one up triumphantly, mentally gloating about her 'amazing strength'. _Impressed yet?_

Hanging one up, she started punching her own bag, releasing all of the stress that had been building up over the past few weeks. Every stupid, small, insignificant yet oddly hurtful name that she had been called, popped into her head - goading her to hit with more agression.

She had never given anyone any reason to hate her, except for being born what she was. She was still human, right? Just with some extra kinks. Her parents were human, so technically she should be considered as the same species. But people didn't view it that way. It's like saying that two giraffes - _yes, giraffes again_ \- gave birth to a toad. It's illogical.

 _Her parents._ That brought a scowl to her face. Her parents paid the price of her being different. They had been _killed_ because people refused to acknowledge mutants as equals. They did not deserve that. No one does. She carried on abusing the bag, morbid thoughts still plaguing her mind, until hair starting sticking to the nape of her neck with sweat.

Daphne figured that her punching had somewhat escalated to the same scale as the Captain's. _Well, we've all got our demons, I guess._

She was torn out of her sombre reverie by a loud crash, and turned to see Steve's punchbag sliding across the floor with a gash in it, sand pouring out.

The man who had been torturing the poor bag, faced towards her direction - probably to find another bag - and froze when he saw her. She could see his _'I'm fine'_ façade come back up and decided to speak.

"Care to spar?" She breathed out, panting lightly from her own small exercise - much like he was. She secretly wanted to laugh at the shock that appeared onto his face.

》》》》》》

 _ **Steve**_

Steve Rogers, AKA; Captain America, pounded aggressively on a punchbag, flashbacks haunting his mind with every punch. Ever since he had been freed from the ice, he couldn't shake the images that plagued his consciousness.

 _ **[Captain America ran through a forest, dodging to avoid mortars, gunfire and the Tesseract's energy firearms.]**_

Punch.

 ** _["There's not enough time! I gotta put her in the water!"]_**

His punches grew progressively harder as more memories entered his head.

 ** _[Steve placed his opened compass down, showing a picture of Peggy Carter. He sighed heavily, getting ready to crash the plane into the ocean.]_**

He closed his eyes. Rage building up quicker.

 _ **["You won't be alone."]**_

More punches.

 _ **[Red Skull picked up the Tesseract.]**_

Steve opened his eyes, tears threatening to spill.

 ** _["Oh my God!"]_**

 ** _[A half-frozen Steve was lying down on a medical slab. Two SHIELD scientists hovered over him to check his vitals.]_**

 ** _["This guy is still alive!"]_**

The punch bag he was currently abusing suddenly tore off it's chains. It flew across the room causing it to split; sand pouring out. He took several deep breaths before turning around to grab another punching bag. He froze at what he saw.

A woman - who was rather striking, Steve admitted - was standing next to another punchbag, breathing deeply with sweat covering her skin. Her long auburn hair was tied up and swayed as she moved. He tried not to blush as he noticed her workout clothes, which happened to reveal a toned stomach. He saw that she had thin scars across the skin of the abdomen and averted his eyes quickly.

"Care to spar?" She panted out.

"Excuse me?" He asked in bewilderment. He hadn't expected her to ask that. Expect the unexpected.

"I asked if you would like to spar," she repeated. "I don't know about you, but fighting a _moving_ target seems more effective than a punchbag."

"I don't fight women," he replied simply, refusing to entertain the idea as if it were a sin - though he had known some strong women in his time. He mentally shook himself, trying to remove thoughts of his past life.

"Who says you're actually gonna get a hit in?" She jibed, grinning slightly.

Steve smiled a little at the comment, finding her confidence refreshing - though slightly suspicious, shaking his head. "Who are you?"

The woman stuck her hand out in greeting. "I'm Daphne Collins. Agent of SHIELD - well, _technically_ I'm on leave."

His smile faltered slightly at the mention of 'SHIELD'. Of course, they wouldn't leave him alone. His anger became renewed but he tried not to let it show to the agent. He placed his hand in hers, shaking it firmly. He noticed that, as he got closer, she had a scar on the right side of her face - running from the corner of her eyebrow to the middle of her cheek. She also had a few callouses on her hands. _Probably from previous battles._

"Steve Rogers. But you already knew that, _right_?" He questioned with a tone of bitterness. He hated the fact that everyone seemed to know _everything_ about him - from a _file_.

"Yes, I did know that. But you didn't answer my question. Wanna spar?" She asked again, lightly hitting her punchbag which - he noticed - had a large dent on the side. He wondered how someone of her size could hit that hard.

"Why?" He asked, sighing heavily. He did not want to deal with SHIELD at that moment.

Daphne just shrugged, turning playful despite his uninviting mood, and skipped towards him. "Why not? Scared I'll beat you?"

Steve fought the urge to grin widely. Despite the woman's small stature, he figured that she could pack quite a punch - as her dented punchbag would know.

When he didn't answer, she carried on. "Come _on_. I'll go easy on you," she laughed, slipping through two ropes that ran across the boxing ring.

The super-soldier felt his mood lighten minutely at the eccentric woman, and decided to give in, walking over to the ring. "Fine. But don't be sad when I win."

"I don't think I have to worry about that," she retorted immediately.

The two squared eachother off inside the ring, both of them swiftly adopting their fighting stances. Steve approached the woman with caution, not yet knowing her fighting technique.

She suddenly rushed towards him, catching him off-guard with her abrupt movement. The agent lashed out at him, forcing Steve into a defensive positive, blocking her hits as he threw his own.

"So, what does SHIELD want?" Steve panted out between punches.

"Who said SHIELD wants _anything_?" She replied, breathing heavily as she paused for a moment, her fists up.

He just stopped and looked at her with a deadpan expression, raising an eyebrow in an 'are you kidding me?' way.

She used this distraction to her advantage, managing to hook her leg around Steve's and throw him to the ground. He was temporarily disorientated, confused at what just happened before he quickly sprung back up.

"Sneaky," he muttered.

Daphne just smirked slyly, shrugging her shoulders. "What else did you expect?"

The pair continued fighting, both on an equal footing and getting more frustrated - with no-one in a clear lead, until Steve had managed to knock Daphne off-balance, allowing him to pin her to the ground. He smirked triumphantly.

She laughed from underneath him. "I went easy on you."

" _Sure_ you did," he teased.

She raised an eyebrow at him and shifted her weight quickly so that the soldier was now pinned down. "Hah!"

Daphne rolled off of him and held out a hand, to help him up. Steve chuckled to himself and allowed her to pull him up, running a hand through his hair. He watched as she walked towards her bag, pulling out two bottles of water. She threw one towards him - which he caught with ease.

"Thank you," he told her after taking a large gulp of the water.

"You're welcome."

They stayed in silence for a few moments. Steve had many questions going through his head, wondering what was so bad that SHIELD needed him in.

"So?" He began. "Why does SHIELD want me?"

Daphne exhaled lightly, going through her duffel bag and pulling out a thick brown file. "In recent years, SHIELD has been working on something that you probably recognise," she stated, holding out the file towards him.

Steve took it from her hands and opened it up, his jaw clenching once he saw a picture of a blue, glowing cube. "HYDRA's secret weapon."

"The Tesseract. Howard Stark found it in the ocean while he was searching for you. He and SHIELD believes it could be an unlimited sustainable power source - so they decided to be _oh so_ clever and mess with it."

"Who took it from you?" He asked, looking up at her once he had read information about the weapon.

"His name is Loki. He's not from around here. Crazy-ass, mythological, Norse God."

Steve's eyes widened. "Norse _God_?"

Daphne chuckled, presumably at his puzzled expression. "The world has reached a whole new crazy since you've been under. You have a lot to catch up on, if you're in."

The soldier scoffed quietly. "At this point, I doubt anything would surprise me."

Daphne's eyebrows raised with a smirk. " _Really_?" She challenged, a mischievous glint in her eyes.

He nodded, not believing that the world could have gotten that much more crazy than he already knew it to be.

'Ten bucks says you're wrong. I'll collect up on that bet once we reach the Helicarrier."

Steve was about to ask what a 'Helicarrier' was but then decided that it was best not to. He had no idea how advanced technology could possibly be, and he didn't want to confuse himself anymore than he was.

"There's a debriefing package waiting for you at your apartment, by the way. Some SHIELD agents are _way_ too enthusiastic about breaking into your home," she warned him.

He turned, still holding the file, picking up his fallen punchbag and started to walk out of the gym.

"What? No goodbye hug?" Daphne's voice joked from behind him, causing him to smile fondly, shaking his head in amusement.

"I'll see you again soon, ma'am," he called over his shoulder.

 _"Don't_ call me ma'am!"

"Okay, _ma'am_ ," he laughed out, feeling better than when he had first entered the gym.

"Is there anything you can tell us about the Tesseract that we ought to know _now_?" She questioned him, sounding serious.

He paused and looked over his shoulder at the agent before continuing to walk out. "You should have left it in the ocean."

"Couldn't agree more, Cap," she muttered, somewhat morosely.

Steve had decided there and then that he would help SHIELD against Loki. He had seen the destruction that the Tesseract had caused - he wouldn't wish that on anybody, and he was determined to make sure that no-one would suffer from the Tesseract again.

 ** _Okay, so I edited this chapter. The first one wasn't the most original thing - so I decided to change it and make it slightly longer. I hope you liked this, I'm not too sure of it myself._**

 ** _Love you all,_**  
 ** _\- Jess xo_**


	4. Well, this just got awkward

"Well, this just got awkward..."

 _Standard SHIELD vehicle - En route to Quinjet. Day._ ** _Daphne_**

Daphne was sitting in a SHIELD vehicle the next morning, on her way to the Quinjet which would transport them to the Helicarrier. She had to admit that SHIELD agents had a very impressive blank-faced façade, she would know after-all. She had tried, for the majority of the journey, to make the two agents in front of her to at least smile. She attemped normal conversational questions, jokes, funny faces, and even went so far to make sexual innuendos. They didn't react in the slightest. So she was stuck, for the remainder of the time, singing songs obnoxiously loud.

 _"... When I walk in the spot, this is what I see."_

The two SHIELD agents glanced at eachother in disbelief. It was obvious that they knew who she was, but they refused to acknowledge her verbally.

 _"_ _Everybody stops and they're staring at me, I got passion in my pants and I ain't afraid to show it, show it, show it, show it."_

 _"I'm sexy and I know it_  
 _I'm sexy and I know it."_

She was bobbing her head to the tune inside her head, eyes closed, until they had finally reached their destination.

"Miss Collins, we have arrived," one of the agents informed her.

 _"Finally,"_ the other one stressed.

She grinned wildly, knowing that she had managed to annoy them to the point where they wished her gone.

"Ahah! I did it! You spoke!" She exclaimed happily.

They turned away from her, rolling their eyes at the young woman exasperatedly.

Still beaming, she strode towards the Quinjet where she was met by Phil. She quickly assembled a scowl on her face, still not forgiving him for the dress and not telling her about recruiting the Captain beforehand.

"Daphne," he greeted.

"Coulson," she replied tersely, concealing the smirk that was threatening to appear.

He sighed. "Come on, it wasn't that bad."

She answered with silence and one of her famous glares.

'You've done worse to me," he whined, crossing his arms while pouting slightly.

She snorted with laughter, remembering the incident he was referring to.

》》 _ **3 months ago. Helicarrier**_

 _Daphne was in the Helicarrier's kitchen, making some chocolate cake as a surprise to Coulson when the idea struck her. She grinned wickedly as she took the cake out of the oven and carried it to her room, to allow it to cool. She then ran back to the kitchens to make a second batch, the plan forming in her head._

 _ **\- 1 hour later -**_

 _She sighed happily after successfully booby trapping the oven, jogging over to the Bridge, knowing Phil would be there._

 _"Hey Philly, I was wondering if you wanted any cake," she said innocently. She noticed how he faltered, debating with himself, internally. "It's chocolate." She laughed in a sing-song voice, knowing he would take the bait._

 _"Umm, yeah, okay," he answered, trying to hide how eager he was. Her chocolate cakes were to die for._

 _"Brilliant."_

 _She led him back to the kitchen and he sat on a high stool, behind a counter. After a few minutes, she looked at the clock and feined worry._

 _"Oh damn, I forgot something. Please check on the cake for me, Phil. It's in the oven."_

 _"Sure," he replied helpfully as she sprinted out of the room._

 _She could barely contain her laughter as she watched him, through the gap in the doorway, walk over to the oven and slowly open it._

 _BANG_ _!_

 _"ARGHHH!"_

 _Phil stood up, covered head-to-toe in chocolate cake, where it had exploded from her sabotaging. He slipped on the offending, gooey mixture, sprawling over onto the floor in a big heap. That's when Daphne lost it. She started giggling which soon turned into massive bawls of laughter. He span, still lying on the floor, to face the source of the sudden howling, seeing Daphne, clutching her stomach, crying tears of pure amusement._

 _"You're f-face!" Howl. "You-you should have-". More laughter. "Seen it!"_

 _He did not speak to her for the rest of the day._

》》 **Present day**

"Hey, it's not my fault you're so easy to wind up," she defended, chuckling. "You're the perfect target."

He muttered words that could never be said in a church, plotting unpleasant ways to torture her while she just hummed cheerfully, stepping onto the Quinjet.

She glanced around the inside, eyes resting on a familiar attractive figure which soon she recognised as Steve Rogers. _Well, this should be interesting..._

》》》》》》

 _Quinjet. Day._ ** _Steve_**

Steve Rogers looked up at the sound of talking, coming from outside the Quinjet. One voice was distinctively female and a burst of recognition coursed through him. He _knew_ that voice, had heard it before. He scoured his mind for when he may have heard it and suddenly remembered that woman he had encountered the night before. She hadn't looked or acted the way he expected a SHIELD agent to be. Most agents would have probably acted as if he were SHIELD's weapon, whereas she treated him like a person. Not just Captain America. Steve felt like he could trust her. He wasn't sure whether that was a good thing, yet, or a bad thing.

Footsteps tore him out of his reverie and he saw the woman, _Daphne,_ he remembered, coming into the Quinjet. She stopped upon seeing him, and gave him a small smile. He watched as she sat down on the bench across from him, fiddling with a chain on her neck.

She was wearing much more casual clothes this time, sporting a red and blue flannel shirt with a pair of slightly ripped navy jeans. She was also wearing black, lace-up boots and her auburn locks cascaded down her back in soft curls.

Steve noticed she looked comfortable with what she was wearing, despite the nervous gesture of fidgeting. He had thought that most of SHILED's employees would prefer to wear professional clothing. That was another thing that probably set her aside from other agents; her preference to wear casual clothes. He wondered _why_ she was so different.

Phil Coulson soon boarded the Quinjet and gave Steve a laptop to show him the people he would be working with, and the files on them. He soon tore his attention towards the technology and away from the intriguing woman across from him.

》》》》》》

 ** _Daphne_**

Daphne sat tense on the bench in the jet, idly twirling her necklace around. It was the last connection to her deceased parents and helped her feel close to them again. She grimaced internally, stopping those thoughts before they consumed her completely. She felt someone's intense gaze on her and looked up to find Steve Rogers almost scrutinising her. She shifted, suddenly feeling inadequate, absent-mindedly touching her scar, which was ridiculous really. She always had confidence that others could get annoyed of easily, so why was she feeling this now?

 _Probably because he's a freaking war hero, and you're just an average girl. Well, an average mutant girl who can kick some serious ass, but still, definitely not on the same level. Definitely not because he's very attractive... No, of course not._

She had been perfectly fine when she met him last night, so what was different? Well, for one, she had been incredibly tired and didn't filter what came out of her mouth, and two, she was hyped up on her home-made brownies. Tired yet hyper... Yep, sounds about right.

Phil came aboard then and she resisted the urge to make some sarcastic remark towards him. He handed the Captain a laptop, and she soon heard a video playing from it. She decided to move across the jet to sit next to him, too interested in what he was watching to see him glance up at her in surprise. The video was of the Hulk attacking an army at Culver University.

She whistled. "Remind me not to get on his bad side," she stated, wincing at the damage on the screen.

She heard a low chuckle from Steve, next to her.

"We're about forty minutes from base, sir," the pilot informed Coulson. Phil stood from where he was sat and walked over to Steve and Daphne.

"So, this Doctor Banner was trying to replicate the serum that was used on me?" The Captain questioned Agent Coulson.

"A lot of people were. You were the world's first superhero. Banner thought gamma radiation might hold the key to unlocking Erskine's original formula," he quickly filled in.

"Didn't really go his way, did it?" Steve noticed, watching as the Hulk roared while tearing a Jeep apart.

"Not so much," Phil started. "But when he's not that thing though, guy's like a Stephen Hawking."

Steve looked at Coulson, confusion clear on his face.

"Like Albert Einstein smart," Daphne explained, much to the Captain's relief. He smiled in thanks, understanding.

"I gotta say, it's an honour to meet you, officially." Daph hid her giggle behind her hand, anticipating what was coming next. Steve, however, was oblivious to Phil's fangirling moment and simply smiled at him.

This, of course, encouraged Coulson to carry on. "I sort of met you, I mean, I watched you while you were sleeping." Rogers looked down, suddenly disturbed and quickly stood up, setting the laptop on the seat, and walked over to the side of the Quinjet. Coulson rushed to join him, attempting to smooth over the layer of awkwardness he had just added.

Daphne was having trouble breathing normally, trying to hold in her bursts of laughter, face going red with the effort.

"I mean, I was... I was present while you were unconscious from the ice. You know, it's really, it's just a... just a huge honour to have you on board," Phil gushed, having problems forming coherent sentences.

Daphne coughed loudly. "This just got awkward..." she sang cheerfully, still giggling. Agent Coulson gave her a death glare. She made a gesture of zipping up her mouth and throwing away the key, innocently grinning.

"Well, I hope I'm the man for the job," Steve replied stiffly, not knowing how to respond to the admissions Coulson had let out.

"Oh, you are. Absolutely. Uh... We've made some modifications to the uniform. I had a little design input," he babbled on, seeming proud.

"The uniform?" Phil nodded. "Aren't the stars and stripes a little... old fashioned?" Steve questioned, apprehensive.

Daphne cut in there, afraid Coulson would start blabbering again, embarrassing himself and everyone around him, and assured sincerely. "With everything that's happening, the things that are about to come to light, people might just need a little old fashioned."

Steve turned to look at her, silently taking in her sentiment, and nodded slightly.

 ** _I hope you all like it so far. Please feel free to give advice on how to help me improve. I could really use it to be honest_**

 ** _Love you all_**  
 ** _-Jess xo_**


	5. Honey, I'm home

"Honey, I'm home!"

 _Helicarrier landing strip. Day._ _**Steve**_

The Quinjet finally arrived at the Helicarrier and smoothly landed on one of the runways. The jet ramp opened up, allowing Steve and Phil to descend down the ramp where an agent waited to greet them. She had shoulder-length, red, wavy hair and obviously had attractive features that seemed to make any woman's self-esteem plummet. _Not the same beauty that Daphne had though._ He cleared his throat, shaking off the thought.

Phil stepped forward to start the introductions. "Agent Romanoff. Captain Rogers." He made hand gestures to signal the person he was referring to.

"Ma'am?" Captain nodded.

"Hi," she replied simply.

It was at that moment that Daphne decided to make her grand appearance by running down the ramp, dramatically yelling, "Honey, I'm home!"

Steve chuckled at her boisterousness, wondering where her energy came from, and Natasha glared at her in distaste, whilst Phil just slapped a hand across his forehead.

Daphne stopped abruptly when she caught sight of the redheaded female agent. Her face went immediately blank and disgust was clear in her cerulean eyes. "Romanoff," she greeted bluntly, venom leaking in her words.

"Collins," Natasha replied, just as sharp. She scoffed at the brunette. "SHIELD must be desperate if they called _you_ in."

Daphne glared. "Honey, they were desperate a long time ago," she started, and then said, feigning realisation, placing a hand under her chin in a 'thinking' face. "Oh, around about the time you became an agent actually." She smiled a sickly sweet smile.

If looks could kill, they would both be dead, resurrected, then dead again.

Steve was confused throughout this whole encounter, wondering what happened for them to be this hostile to each other. Had they always hated each other? Though Daphne didn't seem the type to 'hate' people.

He looked towards Coulson, hoping that he might intervene between the women - only to see the older agent just shake his head in exasperation. Steve didn't really want to get involved with something he didn't know about.

He heard a slight snicker coming from Daphne. The soldier looked at her, worried that she had temporarily gone insane.

Then she burst out laughing, leaving Steve with whiplash at her seemingly bi-polar mood.

"I'm sorry, I couldn't help it," she breathed out, between laughs. "You haven't changed, Natty!" She pulled the redhead into an embrace.

Romanoff broke out in a small grin. "Neither have you, Daph." Returning the hug tightly before pulling away and swiftly clearing her face of emotions.

"Oh yeah, they need you on the bridge. Face time," she informed Coulson, who didn't look perturbed by their unusual greeting.

"Way to kill the moment," Daphne grumbled to herself.

He nodded. "See you there," he responded and walked away, leaving Steve with Daphne and Natasha.

The three started moving towards the railing of the ship, making conversation, Steve in between the two women. "There was quite a buzz around here, finding you in the ice." Natasha started offhandedly, Steve shifting uncomfortably. "I thought Coulson was gonna swoon. Did he ask you to sign his Captain America trading cards yet?"

"Trading cards?" Steve questioned, befuddled. He knew that the merchandise had been produced back in his day, but it still made him slightly unnerved.

"It took him a long time to collect them all," Daphne chipped in, smiling fondly. She seemed to have a close relationship with Coulson.

They soon approached a very nervous-looking man with curly, brown hair, who kept on glancing side to side, fidgeting. He doesn't seem to notice them until they were right behind him. Steve had a hard time believing that this anxious, shy man could turn into the Hulk.

"Dr. Banner," Daphne acknowledged the scientist, shaking his hand. "I'm Daphne Collins. It's a pleasure to meet you. Your work is amazing, I must say," she told him genuinely.

He floundered for a moment. "Oh, um, thank you, Miss Collins. Please call me Bruce." He smiled shyly.

She grinned. "Well, then please call me Daphne."

Steve then stepped up to shake the Doctor's hand too. "Dr. Banner."

"Oh, yeah. Hi. They told me you were coming."

"Word is you can find the cube," Steve announced, getting to the point.

Bruce shifted. "Is that the only word on me?" He asked nervously, as if fearing the answer.

"Only word I care about," Steve shrugged, being honest in his words.

Dr. Banner visibly relaxed after hearing those words. "Must be strange for you, all of this," he said, directing the statement at Rogers.

"Well, this is actually kind if familiar," he corrected, gazing at the surroundings. He remembered the ships during his battles so this didn't look too different to him.

Natasha, who had been silent during the exchange, warned them. "Gentlemen," Daphne coughed loudly, as if offended - which amused Steve. "And _lady_ , you may want to step inside in a minute. It's gonna get a little hard to breathe."

As soon as the words left her mouth, the Helicarrier started shaking.

"Is this a submarine?" Steve guessed, amazed.

"Really? They want _me_ in a submerged pressurised metal container?" Bruce asked sarcastically.

They both moved to the edge of the Helicarrier and watched in awe as four huge fans, mounted on the sides, started to lift them into the air.

Bruce smiled. "Oh no, this is _much_ worse." Steve heard Daphne let out a snort of laughter at the comment.

》》》》》》

 _Helicarrier bridge. Day._ _**Daphne**_

Daphne, Steve and Bruce followed Natasha until they reached the 'bridge', where dozens of agents sat in front of their computer screens. A dark haired, attractive female agent, Maria Hill, yelled orders to leave and then turned to Director Nick Fury.

"We're at lock, sir," she said.

"Good," he began. "Let's vanish."

Daphne chuckled. "I swear that's his favourite catchphrase."

The Helicarrier swiftly rose higher into the air and the reflecting panels that covered the ship appeared, essentially making them invisible. _Badassery at its finest._

The Captain and scientist took the opportunity to look around the bridge, the look of awe not leaving their faces. Daphne had a feeling that she would be winning the bet.

"Gentlemen, Collins," Fury announced.

"Really? I'd thought we'd be on a first name basis by now, Nicky," Daphne complained playfully.

Fury fixed her a look that told her she should shut up - he was probably still peeved about the whole 'strangling Sitwell' issue. Nick had, of course, been a bit put out with her and had threatened to fire her, but the mutant knew that he would never do that. He was too worried that she'd use her 'abilities' against SHIELD.

Steve suddenly turned his body towards Daphne, pulling a ten dollar bill out of his back pocket and handing it to her, his eyes still scanning the room. She smirked, feeling smug. It was never in doubt that Steve would lose the bet, but it was always a question of 'when?'.

Fury held his hand out to Banner to shake it, which Bruce reluctantly complied to. "Doctor, thank you for coming."

"Thanks for asking nicely. So, uh... how long am I staying?" He asked, his eyes constantly moving around, never settling.

"Once we get the Tesseract, you're in the clear," Nick assured him. The brunette mutant saw something flash in his expression, but it changed before she could identify it.

"Where are you with that?" Bruce questioned eagerly.

Nick gestured for Phil to explain while Nat squatted next to a computer screen, staring at a picture of Clint.

"We're sweeping every wirelessly accessible camera on the planet. If it's connected to a satelite , it's eyes and ears for us," Phil cleared up.

"That's still not gonna find them in time," Natasha inputted, though Daphne suspected she was mostly thinking about her partner. She felt a wave of sadness then, she had forgotten that Clint was under the control of a madman.

Bruce thought for a second. "You have to narrow the field," he began as he took off his coat, rolling up his sleeves. "How many spectrometers do you have access to?"

"How many are there?" He inquired.

Banner displayed an air of confidence when he spoke about science it seemed, which contrasted greatly with his apparent timid nature. "Call every lab you know, tell them to put the spectrometers on the roof and callibrate them for gamma rays. I'll go rough out a tracking algorithm based on cluster recognition. At least we could rule out a few places." Fury looked impressed and pleased at the Doctor. "Do you have somewhere for me to work?"

"Agent Romanoff, would you show Dr. Banner to his laboratory, please?" Natasha nodded once, leading Bruce down the hall.

"You're gonna love it, Doc. We got all the toys," she grinned as they left the bridge.

Steve and Daphne had been quiet throughout the conversation, throwing confused glances at each other as Banner said big, scientific words.

She noticed the distrusting looks she was receiving from a couple of the agents, she sighed in annoyance. Couldn't they see that she was not out to kill them all?

She exhaled softly, needing to release all of the tension building inside of her. "Well, I'm gonna hit the gym. Coulson can keep you company," she told Steve, grinning an evil smile and clapping him on the shoulder.

"Wait-" he cried as she sauntered off.

"Have fun, Cappy!" She sang, running out of the room, laughing loudly as she went.

》》》》》》

 _Helicarrier gym. Day._

Daphne entered the gym, breathing out, perfectly at ease, debating on what area to start on while getting changed into her training clothes. She was wearing three-quarter length, black leggings and a matching black sports bra. She decided on target practise first, tying her thick hair up into a ponytail.

He walked over to the array of weapons, her calculating gaze weighing up the pros and cons of each type of weapon. There were a multitude of SHIELD issue handguns, knives, bows and arrows. Daphne grabbed hold of a gun and positioned herself a long distance away from the targets, flipping the safety switch off, firing off ten bullets consecutively. She had hit the head four times, the chest three times, all fatal shots, and put three bullets in the crotch for good measure.

Thoroughly pleased with herself, she then continued with knives until she finally reached the bows and arrows. She remembered when Clint had first taught her how to shoot arrows.

》》 _ **6**_ ** _years earlier_**

 _An eighteen year old Daphne pestered her close friend, Clint Barton, pleading that he teach her how to shoot arrows. She was always fascinated by the gracefulness and beauty of the weapon that she had been dying to try it out. So far, she was failing_ _to convince the archer._

 _"Pretty please Clint! Come on, let me try," she begged, fluttering her big, doe-like eyes at him._

 _"No, no, no... My final answer is no," he asserted adamantly._

 _"But-"_

 _"No, Daphy."_

 _He started to walk away, but she wasn't going to let it go that easily. She pulled out the big guns, knowing how to break him._

 _"I'll stop making you brownies," she threatened him, her voice eerily quiet but he heard her loud and clear._

 _He gasped almost inaudibly, turning around in less than a second. "You wouldn't dare."_

 _"Are you willing to risk it and find out?" She retorted, knowing she had him cornered. Her brownies were Clint's Achilles' heel, his weakness._

 _He struggled to find words, obviously mentally debating with himself. Bow or brownies. Bow or brownies. Bow. Brownies... Brownies._

 _"Fine," he grumbled. "But you better not break my bows."_

 _"Relax Birdie, they'll be safe."_

》》 _ **10**_ ** _minutes later_**

 _"Alright, so I'm going to first show you how to properly handle a bow and arrow."_

 _He handed her a bow and demonstrated the way for her to hold it and position herself. She complied and passed that test with flying colours._

 _"Okay now, place a bow onto the quiver and pull back towards your ear," he instructed._

 _She did as he told her with no problem._

 _"Aim for the center of the target, and release."_

 _"Well, duh," she muttered which earned her a smack across the back of her head._

 _"Hey!" She cried, indignantly._

 _"Don't get smart with me. I don't have to teach you this."_

 _"And I don't have to bake you brownies." She smirked._

 _"Just shut up and shoot," he said, exasperated._

 _She held up the bow, pulled back the quiver and aimed, breathing deeply and evenly. She released and it hit the center._

 _"Woo! Aha, I did it!"_

 _"Beginners luck," Clint grumbled._

 _"Aw, you're just worried that I'll become better at archery than you." She laughed. "Don't worry Robin Hood, you'll always be number one and besides, I prefer my blades and whips."_

 _He still sulked over her ease with the bow. "Come on, Mr Grumpy Pants, I'll make you some extra brownies today."_

 _His face automatically perked up._ _He was so easily_ _pleased._

》》 **Present day**

Her face fell when she remembered where Clint was and felt a surge of determination to find him, to make sure he was safe. After all, he had helped her through a lot of her problems and always looked out for her when there was trouble, so she would return the favour to help him. To help her unbiological brother and one of her best friends. And with that thought she continued training more aggressively than before.

 ** _Hope you all liked this. Next chapters will be up soon. Comment any advice or criticism, it always helps._**

 ** _Love you all_**

 ** _-Jess xo_**


	6. Aw man, we missed the costume party

"Aw man, we missed the costume party!"

 _SHIELD Helicarrier. Evening._ _ **Daphne**_

Sweating and exhausted, Daphne walked back towards her room, deciding to take a much needed shower, massaging her aching muscles. She received many strange glances from the nearby SHIELD agents. Though her exasperation was clear, she didn't expect many people to accept a mutant into their ranks so easily.

Daphne reached her room and quickly grabbed a towel, getting ready for a shower. She warmed up the water and got undressed, stepping under the soothing water. Humming to herself, she finished up ten minutes later. Feeling thoroughly refreshed, she got changed back into her plaid shirt and ripped jeans, forgetting that she didn't bring spare clothes with her.

She ambled down towards the kitchens, looking for a quick snack. She found a bunch of bananas and grapes. _Really? This is all they have?_

Sighing hungrily, she grabbed a banana and strolled to the bridge, hoping to annoy Phil some more. _He makes it too easy._ Daphne opened the doors leading to where she knew Coulson and Steve would be. They were standing side-by-side with their backs to her, and she traipsed over to them, hearing the end of their conversation.

"I mean, if it's not too much trouble," Phil added quickly. She giggled behind her hand, easily guessing what he was talking about.

"No, no. It's fine," Steve reassured him, looking slightly embarrassed.

However, Phil being Phil, carried on with his ramblings. "It's a vintage set. It took me a couple of years to collect them all. Near mint, slight foxing around the edges, but-"

"Alright Philly, you don't need to overwhelm him with your obsessive fangirling," Daphne teased him, peeling the banana and taking a bite of it.

Phil looked at her sharply, glaring - he seemed to be doing that a lot actually - while Steve just looked puzzled. "Fangirling? What's a fangirl?"

"A fangirl is what Phil is," she replied laughing. "A fangirl is the best type of person you can get. I'll explain another time. You have a lot to learn yet, _il capitano_." She clapped him on the shoulder as she said it. She quite enjoyed doing that.

Agent Jasper Sitwell intervened in the conversation. Daphne felt proud once she saw the slight bruising that marked around his face. _He deserved it_ , she told herself - not for the first time. "We got a hit. Sixty-seven percent match... Wait, cross match, seventy-nine percent."

Phil went straight back into 'agent' mode. "Location?"

"Stuttgart, Germany. 28, Konigstrasse. He's not exactly hiding."

Nick Fury strode towards the group with a determined glint in his eyes. "Captain, Collins, you're up."

Steve nodded and left the room. Daphne was about to take her leave also, when Phil grabbed her arm. "I have something for you. Follow me."

She glanced down at the fruit in her hands worriedly. "Can I at least finish my banana?"

Phil rolled his eyes, leaving the room.

She walked behind him, curious at Phil's behavior. He led her towards the room where they kept all of the SHIELD, standard-issue uniform. Pulling out a black bag, he pushed it towards her, a small smirk on his face.

She handed him the half-eaten banana to take the bag, and warily opened it, pulling out a white piece of fabric. "Phil?"

"Well, you asked if you could get a cool superhero name, and every superhero has a proper uniform. So this is yours, if you want it, of course."

It was a catsuit, much like Natasha's, but white and it had golden swirls climbing up the legs towards the stomach of the suit, then curling around the arms. It seemed like it was shimmering almost. She was speechless, to say the least.

"Phil... Oh my God, I love it!" She squealed, hugging him tightly.

He was laughing fondly at her excitement.

"Now all I need is a superhero name and I'll be awesome!" She announced happily.

"Well, lucky for you, I've thought about that too," he told her, grinning proudly. She looked at him expectantly. "How about 'Mirage'? I mean, it fits you and your ability."

She stayed silent for a second. "Phil.. You are a true Saint among men! 'Mirage', I like it. I can see it now; Daphne Collins - Mirage."

He chuckled. "Now go and get ready." She hugged him once more before he left the room. She then realised that he took her banana with him. She pouted at the thought but cleared hunger from her mind.

She turned to face her uniform, grinning.

 _Mirage._

》》》》》》

 _Helicarrier. Steve's locker. Night._ _ **Steve**_

Steve walked into his locker room, approaching a steel cabinet. It opened as he reached it, revealing his Captain America suit with the famous Shield. He stood there in silence for a minute wondering what would come of this battle.

As he was getting changed, his thoughts trailed off to the woman, Daphne Collins. He considered what she might be able to do. Obviously it must be something extraordinary if SHIELD brought her in on this fight. He remembered what little information was about her in the file. It didn't elaborate on what she was capable of and said something about a 'mutant', but he was confused as to what that meant. He would have to ask her about that later.

While his mind was on the woman, he couldn't help but think how different she was to Peggy. They were both brunette and beautiful, but as far as similarities go, that was it. Peggy held herself like a soldier might, whereas Daphne seemed to have a more graceful and lithe posture. He didn't know how skilled she was in weaponry, so he couldn't judge her on that level. Their personalities were different, almost polar opposites, but they were the same in the aspect of doing the right thing and damning the consequences.

He felt a strange urge to learn more about the mysterious brunette. Hopefully, he would have an opportunity to build a friendship with her.

》》》》》》

 _SHIELD Quinjet. Night._

Steve, Daphne and Natasha were on their way to Stuttgart, Germany, preparing to face Loki; God of Mischief. Natasha was being pilot while the he and Agent Collins were gathering weapons, sat in a comfortable silence.

She was wearing a white catsuit which had golden swirls around her limbs. It looked alive to him, the swirls. They seemed to flow effortlessly around her body as she moved, engulfing her figure. It was then that he noticed her physique. She was quite small and slim, in a curvaceous way, but he could see that she was also muscular and strong. His mouth felt dry and he swallowed thickly at the form-fitting suit.

He quickly averted his eyes, feeling his face heat up when she glanced up at him. "How much further are we?" She asked in a clear voice which had a hint of a British lilt to it.

"We've entered German airspace. ETA five minutes," Agent Romanoff told her. She nodded, though looking edgy.

"Nervous?" He asked gently.

She met his eyes. "First time going against a God, so maybe just a tad." She chuckled and he soon joined in.

He noticed that she didn't have the necklace on like before. She probably didn't want to lose it, if capturing Loki happened to turn into a fight.

He thought for a moment. "If you don't mind me asking, what can you do? The file didn't say much about you."

She laughed quietly. "SHIELD likes to be all mysterious," she joked but didn't answer his question, opening her mouth then closing it, but he could see the cogs whirling in her mind as she attemped to provide him with a suitable answer.

"Well, I guess you could say that I have the ability of True Illusion. It's where I can make illusions become reality."

Steve must have made a confused facial expression because she tried to elaborate.

"Uh, for example, I can change people, places, locations, events just by thinking about it...Um, bring anything out of nowhere, make things vanish, muddle the senses, that kind of thing."

"Wow," he said, no other word being appropriate for that kind of power. He struggled to wrap his head around the idea that there were many people on Earth with amazing abilities - it was mostly unheard of back in his time.

"Yeah, but it's very difficult and I can't create too many powerful illusions at once," she fumbled, trying to make herself seem less significant. She obviously hated the attention on her.

"So, how did you get your abilities?" He inquired, wanting to know more about her. "Was it an experiment, like mine?" He briefly thought back to when he first became the icon Captain America.

She stuttered a bit, her eyes flashing with an emotion he couldn't place.

"Hey, it's okay. You don't need to tell me," he tried to calm her, wondering if he had overstepped his boundaries.

She seemed in deep thought for a few moments, seeming to decide whether to tell him something or not. "No, no, it's okay. Uhh, I was born with my 'powers'." She gestured quotation marks around the word 'powers'.

"That must be quite some gift, if it's been with you your whole life."

"It's not so much a gift, than a burden," she muttered, obviously thinking he couldn't hear her.

His eyebrows creased together. "I don't understand. A burden?"

The agent laughed without humour. "People who are born with extra abilities are known as 'mutants'."

Steve recognised that word. "Mutants. That was mentioned in the file."

Daphne nodded at him, but her eyes held a faraway expression. "Well, mutants are far from accepted on Earth." She sighed, and touched her scar lightly. She paused, making Steve think that she had finished speaking. "People don't like what they don't understand. Mutants carry something called the 'X gene' which can manifest into either physical differences or extra abilities, or maybe even both. We are proof of evolution, though humans believe that we are side effects."

She took a deep breath before continuing. "Humans see very few uses for us. Either they want us for weapons of mass destruction or they want us eradicated, there is no in between. There have been many political debates as to whether we should just be isolated from the whole of society altogether. In some ways, I understand where their fear is coming from. There are some dangerous mutants that use their advantage against normal people. But can a threat from the minority justify the punishment of all? _That_ is what I don't agree on."

Steve stayed silent, thinking about how people could possibly kill others just for being born differently, then he remembered World War Two; people killed for being different. Of course, he had been bullied, in the past, for being smaller and weaker than the other boys around him, and could relate to what she was saying, easily.

"God, that was deep. Sorry the ranting monologue," she apologised, a tiny smile on her face.

Before he could reassure her, Romanoff turned around and informed them. "We're at the Gala." Steve noticed how her eyes flickered towards Daphne, and - for a second - he could see something similar to concern in her expression. The brief display of emotion was wiped clear immediately.

The ramp opened while they were in flight so they could get a good view of Loki. The Quinjet landed on a nearby roof so Steve and Daphne could find a way to get closer to the God.

"I'll stay here unless you need backup," Natasha told them.

They both nodded once and left to get to better vantage points. Daph started to climb down a fire escape when he grabbed hold of her arm. "Be careful, okay?"

"Okay... You be careful too."

"Always am," he smiled.

》》》》》》

 _Stuttgart Gala. Night._ ** _Daphne_**

Daphne got down from the fire escape and cautiously moved towards the back of the large crowd Loki had formed outside of the Gala hall. Police cars were strewn everywhere, smashed to pieces. _Brilliant, just brilliant..._

Loki was dressed in a type of golden armour with a weird, reindeer-looking helmet, holding a glowing scepter. _Oh my God, we're dealing with a freaking psycho... Who dresses like that? Evil villain or not, that's a crime against fashion._

"Kneel before me!" He demanded the crowd of people. They disobeyed him and tried to run, but dozens of clones of Loki appeared, cutting off escape.

 _Crap, he's using illusions..._

"I said KNEEL!" He bellowed. The crowd went silent and soon they were all kneeling before him.

Loki held his arms out, smiling widely. "Is this not simpler? Is this not your natural state? It's the unspoken truth of humanity, that you crave subjugation." Daphne used his little speech as an opportunity to move closer without being noticed. "The bright lure of freedom diminishes your life's joy in a mad scramble for power, for identity. You were made to be ruled. In the end, you will always kneel."

As the words echoed to every inch of the crowd, an elderly man slowly rose up, refusing to kneel to the power-hungry God.

"Not to men like you," he rasped out.

"There are no men like me."

"There are _always_ men like you."

Loki turned, facing the rest of the crowd before placing his attention back to the man. "Look to your elder, people. Let him be an example."

Loki aimed the point of his scepter towards the man, the tip glowing blue as he prepared to kill him. Daphne tensed her muscles in anticipation. _Come on, Cap._

The blue light of energy shot out of the scepter towards the man just as Captain America dived in front, blocking the shot away with his shield. Daphne then created a ball of golden energy and sent the blast towards Loki, catching him off guard and sending him onto his ass.

She ran up to Cap, standing next to him. "Aw man, we missed the costume party!" She whined, nudging Steve with her elbow, playfully.

He grinned and then faced Loki, who was picking himself up.

"You know, the last time I was in Germany and saw a man standing above everybody else, we ended up disagreeing."

"Ah, the soldier. A man out of time," he started. "And the _mutant_ , an abomination that shouldn't exist."

"Thanks!" Daphne cheered. "I've always worried what crazy, narcissistic, power-hungry Gods thought of me, but now I can relax. Phew!" Sarcasm practically dripped off her words.

Loki glared, preparing to strike.

"And for the record, I'm not the one out of time," Steve warned him just as the Quinjet arrived, a machine gun aimed at the Norse God.

Natasha's voice boomed through the speaker. "Loki, drop the weapon and stand down."

Loki looked at the scepter quickly before blasting an energy bolt towards the Quinjet. Agent Romanoff maneuvered the jet, just dodging the blast, giving Cap time to throw his shield at Loki, knocking him down.

The God flung Steve to the ground as Daphne conjured up a version of herself in front of Loki. He noticed the clone and started fighting it, unaware of the real mutant until she grabbed him from behind, throwing away his magical spear and roundhouse kicking him in the face, making him stumble back.

"Looks like I'm beating you at your own game," she smirked, letting golden wisps circulate her fingers.

He retrieved his scepter and swiped it towards her. She managed to bend backwards and out of the way before it cut her throat. Daph unsheathed a translucent blade, making expert slices at Loki while avoiding his own until he unexpectedly swiped at her legs and blasted her backwards.

Captain then threw his shield at Loki, but he swatted it away, the two of them engaging in physical combat. The mutant woman couldn't help but admire the muscular super-soldier as he fought. Steve was using his boxing skills while Loki defended himself, managing to catch the soldier off guard to send him tumbling to the ground. Standing over him, Loki points the scepter's tip on his helmet.

"Kneel," the God commanded.

"Not today!" Steve grunted, lashing out at Loki with his leg while Daph appeared behind and smashed the hilt of her blade to the back of Loki's head.

They heard Natasha's voice over the comms system. "The guy's all over the place."

Suddenly, AC/DC's song Shoot To Thrill was echoing through the air and all three of them looked up to see Iron Man flying above.

"Agent Romanoff, did you miss me?'

Tony Stark then flew over towards them before blasting Loki back down to the ground. Stark landed next to Captain and Daphne and pulled out a vast range of weaponry from the suit.

"Make your move, Reindeer Games." Loki held up his hands in a sign of surrender, his armour vanishing while Daphne laughed at his nickname for the God of Mischief.

"Good move."

"Mr. Stark," Steve greeted tersely, nodding slightly.

"Captain," Iron Man returned the sentiment with the same amount of emotion. He then turned to the brunette. "Well, _hello_ there! Tony Stark, at your service." He sounded like he was grinning.

She laughed at his flirtatious tone. "Daphne Collins."

"It's an absolute pleasure to make your acquaintance."

"I'm sure it is," she chuckled.

Daph then sauntered over to Loki and dragged him up by his collar, shoving him into the Quinjet. "Move it, Princess."

"She's hot when she gets feisty," she heard Tony mock-whisper to Steve, grinning.

 ** _Longest chapter yet, I think. Please let me know what you think. Love you all_**

 ** _-Jess xo_**


	7. You guys done playing with each other?

"You guys done playing with each other?"

 _Quinjet. Night. **Daphne**_

Natasha was watching the skies carefully, listening to the sudden thunder that erupted. Daphne, standing in the middle of the flying structure, noticed that the storm started as soon as Loki boarded the Quinjet. She tensed infinitesimally, closing her eyes while breathing deeply. She hoped it didn't mean anything foreboding and that it would end soon.

"Not a word," she heard Natasha say. She looked at the redhead, slightly puzzled as to who she was talking to, when she noticed her put her hand to her ear - listening to her headset, she suspected.

"Why are you working with them?" A deep voice asked her.

She turned to see Loki staring at her intently, seeming to delve into the depths of her soul. He was tied and cuffed to his seat he was occupying. He was quite attractive, she supposed, but she wasn't into the whole 'take over the world' kind of guys.

"Excuse me?" She questioned, befuddled.

"I asked why you were working with these mortal scum. You're not exactly human, so why? Someone of your power would be more suited to a leadership role, one above the humans."

She laughed. "Why? You thinking of recruiting me? A sweet gesture, but I'm fine with being a part of the 'mortal scum', thank you." She started to turn away from the delusional God.

"There's a darkness in you."

She froze.

"Something powerful and all-consuming, if you must know. So, in answer to your question, yes. I am trying to, as you say, 'recruit' you, because you secretly want this. World domination, I mean." He grinned at her maliciously, enjoying her sudden inner turmoil.

She gradually twisted back around to face him again, her face blank. "You're the God of Mischief and Lies. Why would I believe that?"

"Because you feel that, deep down, it is true," he answered slowly.

She stared at him for a few minutes. He smirked, thinking he had broken her. Then she surprised him by laughing loudly.

"Yeah, you got me! I am completely and utterly evil with my sarcastic wit and endless stream of coffee and chocolate. I guess I should bow down to your superior ways, and beg you not to tell anyone my deepest, darkest secret."

Loki sent her a glare that seemed able to freeze the earth over multiple times.

She scoffed and after taking one last glance at Loki, she edged her way towards where Steve and Tony were standing, whispering to each other.

* * *

 _ **Steve**_

"I don't like it," Cap admitted to Tony, turning when he heard Daphne behind them and he smiled at her briefly before facing Stark again.

"What? Rock of Ages giving up so easily?" He asked in a joking manner.

Steve ignored his jibe. "I don't remember it being ever that easy. This guy packs a wallop."

"Still, you are pretty spry, for an older fellow. What's your thing? Pilates?" Tony teased with a neutral expression on his face. Steve glared at the older man, getting tired of his irresponsible antics.

"What?" he questioned, baffled and a bit exasperated.

Daphne decided to butt in. "It's like calisthenics," she informed him. That didn't lessen the confusion and it annoyed him.

Tony picked up on her explanation. "You might have missed a couple of things, you know, doing time as a Capiscle," he jested.

"Tony!" she hissed at him, glaring at him with a look that said 'you went too far'.

Steve, however grateful he felt that Daphne tried to help, rose up to meet Stark's ego match. "Fury didn't tell me he was calling you in," he drawled out, distaste clear in his tone.

"Yeah, there's a lot of things Fury doesn't tell you."

Daphne scoffed softly, beside him. He glanced over at the young woman and saw her eyes glaze over, gaining a far away look, signalling deep thought. He wondered what she could possible be thinking about so hard.

Thunder rumbled through the sky, followed instantly by a massive bolt of lighting that violently shook the Quinjet. Daphne stumbled on her feet, snapping out of her reverie, grabbing hold of Steve to keep herself steady, a look of fear running through her face. A tingly feeling shot through Steve's arm when she grabbed him. He dismissed it for now, not wanting it to distract him.

"Where's this coming from?" Agent Romanoff wanted to know. Nobody answered for they didn't know.

More thunder was heard above the Quinjet and Steve saw Loki staring out of the window nervously. Daphne's grip on Steve's arm tightened as more thunder roared.

"What's the matter? Scared of a little lightening?" Steve remarked, though harsher than he intended it to come out. He didn't see the glare that Daphne sent him at the comment.

"I'm not overly fond of what follows," he said, somewhat vaguely.

"Oh my God," Daph whispered. He shot her a quick questioning look before it happened.

A blinding flash of light hit the roof of the Quinjet, shaking the jet roughly. Tony put the helmet back on his suit, ready to fight. The sound of the metal ramp opening startled them out of their thoughts. A large figure came onto the Quinjet, holding something that looked like a hammer. The dark figure became clearer, revealing a large, muscular man with long, blonde hair. He was dressed in this strange battle armour.

Stark strode over to the large man, holding up his arm to blast him with his repulsors, when the stranger pulled back his hammer and smashed it into the Iron Man suit, sending him flying back into Steve and Daphne. The man swiftly cut Loki free, grabbed him by the throat and jumped off the Quinjet with the God of Mischief in his grasp.

The three, painfully, got up, preparing to go after the stranger.

"Now there's that guy," Tony whined, much to Steve's annoyance.

"Another Asgardian?" Natasha asked.

"It was Thor. God of Thunder," Daphne clarified. The other Avengers just looked at her. "What? I actually read, unlike _some_ people."

"Think the guy's a friendly?" Steve queried, pleased that he had learnt another trait of the mutant woman.

"Doesn't matter. If he frees Loki, or kills him, the Tesseract's lost," Tony replied gruffly, as he walked towards the edge of the ramp, preparing to follow both of the Gods. The mutant woman slowly followed him.

"Stark, we need a plan of attack!" Cap warned him, agitated with his 'one-man army' approach.

"I have a plan. Attack."

Iron Man stepped off the edge, flying after the pair. Steve exhaled sharply and went to the side to grab a parachute. Daph was still standing next to the exit, staring down into the thunderous sky, seeming tense. Then, without warning, she leapt from the safety of the jet, and plummeted down towards the ground.

"No!" He yelled, rushing to the ramp, seeing nothing but dark clouds. He hastily attached the chute to his Captain America uniform.

"I'd sit this one out, Cap," Natasha tells him.

"I don't see how I can." _And now I definitely can't with Daphne out there,_ he thought. He couldn't describe it, but he had an overwhelming urge to keep her close and protect her.

"These guys come from legends. They're basically Gods."

"There's only one God, ma'am. And I'm pretty sure he doesn't dress like that," he quipped before diving off the Quinjet, the wind whipping harshly around him as he fell.

* * *

 _Forest. Night._ ** _Daphne_**

Falling through the air was almost as relaxing as getting electrocuted for Daphne. So not much. Not when the only thing visible was the fast approaching earth. The fall would, for a normal person, end in a mangled and shattered body. But Daphne was not normal in the slightest, but she had to act quick or it would be her fate as well. She closed her eyes and imagined a bird. The way its wings soared through the air, ruffling its small feathers as it flew. The way its lithe, agile torso twisted and turned as it maneuvered through the sky. Golden wisps engorged her body while she fell and she soon felt a feeling of weightlessness. She opened her eyes when a new sensation filled her veins. She was no longer falling...

She was flying.

Vast, white wings protruded from her shoulder blades, tints of gold and black visible in the feathers. She laughed lightly, a euphoric feeling rushing through her as she soared. She flew closer to the ground, hovering slightly before setting down, her wings flapping gently. She surveyed her surroundings. Trees covered nearly every inch of her sight.

Sighing, she carefully ambled through the forest, hearing a crashing noise up ahead. Running towards the commotion, she saw Thor and Tony staggering up from the ground, circling each other, inside a clearing. The Iron Man mask was down so Daphne could see the look of annoyance of Stark's face.

"Do not touch me again!" Thor roared angrily.

"Then don't take my stuff," Stark jibed him.

"You have no idea what you're dealing with," the God muttered darkly.

"Shakespeare in the park?" Daphne quipped innocently.

Both men turned to face her, startled at her sudden appearance. Tony started laughing loudly at her remark.

"Doth mother know you weareth her drapes?" Tony cried out dramatically. Daphne hid her chuckle behind her hands.

"This is beyond you, metal man and strange woman. Loki will face Asgardian justice."

Daphne gasped, offended. "Tony! He called me 'strange'!" She huffed childishly. He chuckled amusedly at her.

"He gives up the cube, he's all yours. Until then, stay out of my way... tourist." The Iron Man mask slid back up and he started to walk away. Thor didn't seem to like that and raised his hammer, 'Mjölnir' she remembered, and threw it at his back, causing him to fly across the clearing into a tree.

"Okay," Tony started.

Thor raised his hand, calling Mjölnir back towards him. It flew into his outstretched hand, instantly. He swung his hammer towards Tony, summoning a ray of electrical energy. Tony flew up from where he was thrown and sped towards Thor, knocking him into a tree.

Daphne watched all of this happening from the comfort of a tree branch, sometimes giggling at the absurdity of the fight. _Ouch, karma..._

The God, kneeling on the ground, held his hammer up into the skies, creating a whirlwind of thunder and lightning, making Daphne tense up at the sound. The lightning poured from Mjölnir and into Tony as Thor aimed it at him, pushing Iron Man back as he tried to deflect the bolts.

"How about that?" She heard Tony mumble to himself for some reason, before blasting energy towards the God, forcing him to his knees.

Both men flew at each other, meeting in the middle and ascending high up into the air. She was waiting for them to come back down, when she heard a crash nearby. She sprinted to where the sound emanated from to see multiple trees smashed apart and strewn across the forest floor.

Thor was about to attack again when Steve came rushing towards the trio. The God and Iron man looked ready to pounce on each other, while Daphne just looked amused but tired.

"Hey! That's enough!" He yelled, looking at each of them individually, his eyes lingering on Daphne last.

"Excuse me. I don't know why you're looking at me for. I wasn't involved in this," Daphne defended herself.

"But you didn't try to stop it," he deadpanned.

"One, me getting involved would have meant more mess and would have wounded the egos of both of _them_ ," she started, gesturing towards Tony and Thor. "Two, I am not their mother. And three, it was way too fun for me to watch."

Steve nodded, accepting that reluctantly. He was about to talk, when he was interrupted.

"And anyway, that mean God over there," she pointed at Thor, "called me 'strange'. How rude is that!"

He chuckled at the woman, smiling wider when she started pouting.

He turned to face Thor. "Now, I don't know what you plan on doing here."

"I've come to put an end to Loki's schemes!" He declared boldly. Daphne started to think everything he did was 'bold'.

"Then prove it! Put the hammer down." Steve challenged him. _Uh oh._

"Um, yeah, no! Bad call! He loves his hammer," Tony exclaimed worriedly.

Thor who got progressively angrier, snapped and lost all sense of tolerance. He raised Mjölnir threateningly. "You want me to put the hammer down?!"

He leapt into the air, towards Captain America and Steve crouched down, bringing up his shield for protection. When the hammer collided with the shield, a massive implosion of light reacted and flung them all through the trees. Daphne landed near Cap and Tony, her arm bending awkwardly underneath her. They all sit up slowly, eyes scanning through the remains of the wrecked forest. Daphne was the first to stand up as she rolled her right shoulder around, trying to loosen the muscle she had pulled.

"You guys done playing with each other?" She grunted out in pain, rubbing her neck to soothe the ache. None of them answered her. " _Good_."

 ** _Finished this chapter. What did you think? And what do you think of the point of view shift? I realise I forgot to ask if that worked... I learnt that 'amusedly' is a word, I checked on google. Will start working on next chapter tomorrow._**

 ** _Love you guys_**

 ** _Jess xo_**


	8. Do you think he sees faeries?

"Do you think he sees faeries?"

 _SHIELD briefing room. Night. **Daphne**_

The avengers sat inside a briefing room, watching through a monitor as Fury spoke to Loki inside the Helicarrier detention section. Loki was trapped inside a strong, glass cell staring at Fury through it.

"In case it's unclear." He moved towards a control panel outside of the cell. "You try to escape. You so much as scratch that glass." Fury pressed a button on the panel that opened a hatch directly beneath Loki's cell. The God peered out of the glass and down below, hearing the loud gushing of wind from the gap.

"Thirty thousand feet, straight down in a steel trap. You get how that works?" Fury asked sarcastically, closing the hatch.

"Ant," he stated, pointing at Loki. He then gestured towards the panel. "Boot."

Loki didn't look phased by the threat. He smirked at the Director. "It's an impressive cage. Not built, I think, for me."

"Built for something a lot stronger than you," he replied, making sure the God of Mischief knew that he would not be able to escape.

"Oh, I've heard," he drawled, looking at the camera that the group of superheros were watching through. "The mindless beast, makes play he's still a man. Not to mention the disgusting mutant you've employed. "The group turned their gaze towards Daphne and Bruce, eyes showing pity. This annoyed her to no end. She didn't want anyone's sympathy and she was sure that Bruce didn't either. "How desperate are you, that you call upon such lost creatures to defend you?"

"How desperate am I? You threaten my world with war. You steal a force you can't hope to control." He walked closer to the cage. "You talk about peace and you kill 'cause it's fun. You have made me very desperate. You might not be glad that you did."

Loki grinned snidely. "Ooh. It burns you to come so close. To have the Tesseract, to have power. Unlimited power. And for what? A warm light for all mankind to share, and then to be reminded what real power is."

Fury just smirked at him. "Well, you let me know if Real Power wants a magazine or something," he mocked, striding out of the detention section.

The Avengers stayed quiet for a few moments, not knowing what to say, while Daphne tried to hide her smile at Nick's last comment. Steve was sitting in the chair next to her with Natasha at the head of the table while Bruce stood slightly behind Daphne and Thor was lingering off to the side, looking torn. The silence stretched on, the tension palpable until Bruce broke in with a comment.

"He really grows on you, doesn't he?"

The mutant woman laughed at this. "I agree, but someone needs to stop feeding him drugs. It's unhealthy. Do you think he sees faeries? I wonder..." she trailed off, muttering to herself about magic mushrooms and rainbow unicorns.

The group smiled affectionately at her childlike behaviour, except from Thor, who grumbled at her slight against Loki. She noticed this and gave him an apologetic look, making him smile gently.

"Loki's gonna drag this out. So, Thor, what's his play?" Steve questioned the God of Thunder, quickly becoming serious.

"He has an army called the Chitauri. They're not of Asgard or any world known. He means to lead them against your people. They will win him the earth, in return, I suspect, for the Tesseract."

"An army? From outer space?"

"So he's building another portal," Bruce commented. _Light bulb moment._

"That's what he needs Erik Selvig for," Daphne said, realisation coursing through her.

"Selvig?" Thor intoned.

"He's an astrophysicist," Bruce clarified for him.

"He's a friend." Thor looked concerned for Dr. Selvig.

"Loki has him under some kind of spell, along with one of ours," Natasha chimed, glancing at Daphne when she mentioned 'one of ours'. Both of the women had expressions of sadness on their faces.

Steve looked thoughtful, then turned to the brunette. "Can't you break this spell? I mean, with your abilities?"

She sighed, though she had been expecting this kind of question. "No, I don't know what Loki's done, but for some reason, I can't stop it. Whatever it is, it seems beyond my abilities. I'm sorry."

He nods understandingly before continuing. "I wanna know why Loki let us take him. He's not leading an army from here."

"I don't think we should be focusing on Loki." Bruce interjected. "That guy's brain is a bag full of cats, you could smell the crazy on him."

"Have care how you speak. Loki is beyond reason, but he is of Asgard, and he's my brother," Thor snapped, irritated.

"He killed eighty people in two days," Natasha argued.

"He's adopted," he offered sheepishly.

"Iridium. What did they need the iridium for?" Bruce wondered, ignoring Thor's excuse.

"It's a stabilising agent," a new voice appeared. They all looked up, seeing Tony strut in with Phil.

"I'll fly you there. Keep the love alive," he said to Coulson before turning to the rest of the group. "Means the portal won't collapse on itself, like it did at SHIELD."

He walked up and ruffled Daphne's hair, "Hey, Kitty," he greeted before realising something. "Wait a minute, can you do that?"

"Do what?"

"Turn into a cat," he elaborated, hope shining in his eyes.

"Oh, um, yeah but it feels weird." She made a face to support her comment.

"You need to show me that sometime!" Tony exclaimed happily. "I've always wanted a cat."

"Did you not just hear me say that it felt weird? And hey, I'm not your pet!" She cried indignantly.

"Yet," he added, grinning when she huffed.

He then strolled up to Thor. "No hard feelings, Point Break. You've got a mean swing." Tony walked around the room a bit. "Also, it means the portal can open as wide, and stay open as long, as Loki wants," he said, referring back to the Iridium.

He turned to the Helicarrier crew. "Uh, raise the mid-mast, ship the top sails." He froze, glancing at a guy on a computer. He abruptly pointed at the man, exclaiming, "That man is playing Galaga! Thought we wouldn't notice. But we did."

The Avengers looked confused at Tony's rambling, all except from Daphne, who was thoroughly amused at the genius and assumed his behaviour was normal.

He then covered one eye, looking around, moving towards a computer. "How does Fury do this?"

Agent Hill answered him. "He turns."

Tony started fiddling with the computer controls and Daphne saw him place something underneath it. Nobody else seemed to have noticed the action. Tony span around and caught her questioning eye. He pleaded to her with his eyes and relaxed when she nodded minutely, still wondering what he was up to.

"Well, that sounds exhausting." He started before getting back to the point. "The rest of the raw materials, Agent Barton can get his hands on pretty easily. Only major component he still needs is a power source. A high energy density, something to kick start the cube."

Maria Hill stepped forward. "When did you become an expert in thermonuclear astrophysics?"

"Last night." He answered bluntly, as if it were obvious. "The packet - Selvig's notes - the Extraction Theory papers. Am I the only one who did the reading?" He asked, confused.

Nobody replied to his question.

"Does Loki need any particular kind of power source?" Steve inquired.

"He's got to heat the cube to a hundred and twenty million Kelvin, just to break through the Coulomb barrier," Bruce said.

This is where Daphne stopped trying to understand what they were saying.

"Unless, Selvig has figured out how to stabilize the quantum tunneling effect," Tony theorised.

"Well, if he could do that he could achieve Heavy Ion Fusion at any reactor on the planet," Bruce finished.

"Finally, someone who speaks English," the billionaire cheered, walking towards Bruce.

"Aw, look, they even finish each other's sentences!" Daphne cooed, moving so she could sit cross-legged on the table, facing the two genius'. "Might we expect a happy announcement by the end of the week?" Both scientists glared at her, but she grinned at them.

"Is that what just happened?" Steve asked, seeming puzzled throughout the whole encounter.

Daph put her hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry, I didn't understand either." He smiled at her in appreciation. They watched as Bruce and Tony shake hands, showing a mutual respect towards the other.

"It's good to meet you, Dr. Banner. You're work on anti-electron collisions is unparalleled. And I'm a huge fan of the way you lose control and turn into an enormous green rage monster."

"Thanks," Bruce said, looking down awkwardly.

"Way to kill the mood, Tony," the brunette scolded him.

Nick Fury walked into the briefing room at this point. "Dr. Banner is only here to track the cube. I was hoping you might join him," he informed Stark.

"Let's start with that stick of his. It may be magical, but it works an awful lot like a HYDRA weapon." Steve inputted logically.

"I don't know about that, but it is powered by the cube. And I'd like to know how Loki used it to turn two of the sharpest men I know into his personal flying monkeys," Nick snapped, dramatically storming out of the room. _All he needs is a cape to swish around._

"Monkeys? I do not understand," Thor announced.

"I do!" Steve burst out, looking proud of himself. "I understood that reference." Daphne giggled at his obliviousness; it was adorable. She ruffled his blonde hair warmly, still chuckling. He beamed up at her, his blue eyes lighting up, like a child showing his mother what he had learnt in school.

Tony just rolled his eyes at the Captain and turned back to Bruce, "Shall we play, doctor?"

"Let's play some." He replied, both of them walking out of the room.

Daphne noticed that the guy who had been playing Galaga, looked around discreetly before going back onto the game, not moving a muscle. She grinned and sashayed over towards him, feeling Steve's curious eye on her. She grabbed a glass a water that she found on a table and carefully balanced it on the guy's head. He was so focused on his game that he didn't notice.

Steve had moved closer to see what she was doing and covered his mouth to muffle his laugh. Daphne grinned mischievously at him, snickering silently. She coughed loudly, gaining the man's attention - which resulted in him being covered in water.

She leaned forward to whisper in his ear. "You really shouldn't be playing on the job," she warned him. He quickly stood up and left the room.

"Oh, was it something I said?" She asked, feigning innocence.

* * *

 _Helicarrier Kitchen. Night. **Steve**_

Steve and Daphne were in the kitchen. She was telling him about when she threatened to stop baking brownies for Clint until he taught her how to shoot arrows. Steve had been intrigued in how such food could sway an agents mind so easily, and Daphne offered to make some for him so he could judge for himself.

He watched her as she baked. Her arms were covered in flour and her auburn hair tied up in a pony-tail. She moved gracefully as she prepared the brownies and glanced up as if she could feel his stare. They both blushed. Steve broke the silence.

"So how well do you know Barton?"

She laughed quietly. "He's like a brother to me. Though, when we first met, he hated my guts. He believed that I was out to destroy SHIELD and everything they stood for so, of course, I kicked his ass." He chuckled at the image. "I remember that I was making brownies for Phil and Clint came in, obviously smelling the food. He looked at me like he couldn't believe that someone like me could bake."

"Someone like you?" Steve interrupted.

"A mutant," she answered honestly. "Like I said before, mutants are not exactly welcome."

"Why?"

"It could be for any number of reasons. Fear? Jealousy? Because we were born different and they thought themselves superior? I don't know." She replied, her voice small.

"Anyway, he smelt the brownies and eyed me suspiciously, probably thinking I had poisoned them or something similar. I ate one, just to prove they were edible and quietly asked him if he wanted one. He approached me cautiously, and slowly grabbed one before taking a bite." She smile warmly. "He made the most hilarious sound ever. It was a cross between a gasp of surprise and a moan. By that time I couldn't breathe because of my laughing, and he joined in, forgetting his apparent animosity towards me. We've been close ever since." Steve smiled at her loving expression. She moved over to get a pair of oven mitts.

"And Coulson?"

She swiftly took the cooked brownies out of the oven. "Phil? Ah, well, he practically raised me since I was eight. Found me living on the streets in England and brought me into SHIELD."

"What about your parents? Why weren't you with them?" He asked, thoughts circulating his head as to why she wasn't with any parents.

She stayed silent for a while, glancing up at him with such sadness in her eyes. He was about to tell her that she didn't have to say anything when Daphne started speaking.

"Um, they were killed when I was eight. They were trying to protect me." She started cleaning off the counters. "I was in another room at the time, hiding, but I saw them get shot. Uh, after they... died, I ran. Didn't stop running until suddenly I found myself in the middle of a city. My powers were mostly influenced by my emotions since I was too young to control them. I must have accidentally teleported myself. That's when Phil found me. And here I am now."

"So you're a SHIELD agent?"

"Yeah, but I only get called in when I'm needed. It gives me the opportunity to at least _try_ to be ordinary, though I do love the job and the people here."

He paused for a moment. "I'm sorry that you had to go through that," Steve said sympathetically.

She chuckled quietly. "You've nothing to be sorry of but thank you anyway."

They both smiled at each other.

"So what about you? What was your life like?"

Steve sighed nostalgically. "It was very different. People nowadays always seem to be in a rush or stressed out about something. Everything was much simpler back when I was born until, of course, the war. Believe it or not, I was a scrawny little thing growing up. The other kids used that to their advantage. I had attempted to enlist in the Army, but got rejected for my frailty and sickness."

He had stopped talking at this point, reliving memories of his past.

"So, what happened?"

"A man called General Chester Phillips had heard my plea to fight and offered me a place in a top secret experiment named Operation Rebirth. They gave me the Super-Soldier Serum and I became Captain America."

"Here try this," she said, offering him a cooled-down brownie. "I didn't poison it, before you ask."

"No, no, I trust you," he assured her, biting into it. It was delicious. He groaned in delight, his cheeks warming when Daphne started giggling.

"Don't worry. Clint's reaction was much more embarrassing," he told him, grinning cheekily. She sobered up suddenly. "What was Peggy like? I heard about her. You don't have to answer though."

"She was something else. She would like you. Peggy was a soldier. She was strong, could take on any man without batting an eyelid. We got rather close during the time of the Serum."

"But after crashing the plane into the ocean, you didn't see her again?" She probed gently, her ice blue eyes swirling with sympathy.

"Yeah. But I found out, when I woke up, that she was still alive so I visited her. She had gotten married, had a family. She told me that I should move on, live my own life. Before that, I probably wouldn't have been able to, but now I think I can." He glanced at Daphne with tender eyes, thinking that although both women seemed alike in appearance, they were completely different.

"Well, if you ever need anyone to talk to, I'm always around," she offered, her expression soft.

"Thank you," Steve said gratefully.

"Okay, no more chick-flick moments," she laughed.

"Chick-flick?" He was befuddled.

"It's a type of film. Oh! You need to watch modern films! I'll help you with that. Seriously they are the best!" She gushed.

He laughed at her excitement. Definitely going to have my hands full when it comes to her.

 ** _Finished chapter. Hoped you liked it. Think this was the longest part so far... Wanted Steve and Daphne to have a little moment there._**

 ** _Love you guys_**

 ** _-Jess xo_**


	9. We can be spangly together!

"We can be spangly together!"

 _En route to Banner's Lab. Night. **Daphne**_

Daphne was trying, and failing, to explain the concept of Harry Potter to Steve.

"Wait, so this boy has a lightning scar?" Daphne nodded. "Why? Was he hit by lightning?"

She laughed. "No, because he survived the Killing Curse when Voldemort tried to murder him," she explained to a muddled Steve.

"Okay... I'm still confused," he sighed, exasperated.

"Which is why we're going to watch them all!" she exclaimed joyfully.

Steve shook his head, smiling. Daphne was obsessed with films and any kind of literature. Give her a book and she'll practically inhale it. Tell her about a TV show and the chances are that she'll have finished the whole show within a week.

"How much do you want to bet that you'll enjoy them?"

"I'm not betting against you, Daph," Steve asserted.

"Why? Because you know I'll win again?" she gloated. He didn't answer and that was all she needed to know.

They continued the idle banter until they reached Bruce's lab. They had arrived to see Tony shock the doctor with an electric rod, making him yell out in surprise or pain.

"Ow!"

Tony moved closer to him, studying his expression. "Nothing?"

Steve stalked further in the room. "Hey, are you nuts?" he shouted at the billionaire.

Stark just ignored his outburst. "You really have got a lid on it, haven't you? What's your secret? Mellow jazz? Bongo drums? Huge bag of weed?"

"Is everything a joke to you?" Cap questioned him. Daphne could see that his anger and frustration was building.

"Funny things are," Tony retorted, without missing a beat.

"Threatening the safety of everyone on this ship isn't funny." Steve scolded, then turned to Bruce. "No offense, doctor."

"No, it's alright." Bruce assured. "I wouldn't have come aboard if I couldn't handle pointy things." He gave Tony a look.

"You're tiptoeing, big man. You need to strut." Tony told Dr. Banner as if he were giving him ground-breaking advice.

"And you need to focus on the problem, Mr. Stark," Steve insisted, seeming frustrated with the genius.

Tony started spit-balling questions. "You think I'm not? Why did Fury call us and why now? Why not before? What isn't he telling us? I can't do the equation unless I have all the variables."

"You think Fury's hiding something?" Cap questioned him, apprehensive about the idea of secrets being kept from them.

"He's a spy. Captain, he's the spy. His secrets have secrets." Tony then faced Daphne. "And I bet that you know what he's hiding, don't you?"

She scoffed at his assumption. He couldn't be more far from the truth. "And what makes you think that?"

"Well, you are a SHIELD agent, after all. You're trained to lie all of the time."

"I guess the joke's on you then. I don't know what he's hiding. Surely a 'genius' like you can see that I'm not trusted in SHIELD." She put quotation marks around the word 'genius', mocking him.

He eyed her carefully, obviously trying to weasel out her lies.

"Okay, Kitty, I believe you." She groaned at the nickname. "But it's bugging him too, isn't it?" He pointed at Banner.

Steve looked at the other scientist expectantly.

"Uh...I just wanna finish my work here and..." Bruce stuttered out. Daphne felt bad that he was being dragged into this spat between the other two men. Steve turned to him.

"Doctor?"

There was a pause that lasted for a second. "'A warm light for all mankind'. Loki's jab at Fury about the cube."

"I heard it," the super-solider stated skeptically.

"Well, I think that was meant for you." Bruce pointed at Tony. "Even if Barton didn't post that all over the news."

"The Stark Tower? That big ugly-" Tony gave Steve a pointed look while Daphne covered her mouth, stifling her giggles. "...building in New York?"

Bruce continued. "It's powered by Stark Reactors, self-sustaining energy source. That building will run itself for what, a year?"

"That's just the prototype. I'm kind of the only name in clean energy right now," Tony stated.

"So, why didn't SHIELD bring him in on the Tesseract project?" Bruce asked, referring to Tony. "I mean, what are they doing in the energy business in the first place?"

"I should probably look into that once my decryption programmer finishes breaking into all of SHIELD's secure files," the billionaire said offhandedly, opening a packet of blueberries and eating a handful.

Steve looked taken aback. "I'm sorry, did you say-?"

"Jarvis has been running it since I hit the bridge. In a few hours we'll know every dirty secret SHIELD has ever tried to hide." He held out the packet. "Blueberry?"

Daphne reached out to take some, looking defensive when Steve raised his eyebrows at her. "What? I'm hungry."

"You just ate a pile of brownies," he reminded her.

"And you expect me to pass up on _free_ food? No, thanks." She held her handful of berries closer to her, in a protective stance.

Steve turned back to Tony. "And you're confused about why they don't want you here?"

"An intelligence agency that fears intelligence? Historically, not possible," he jibed.

"I think Loki's trying to wind us up. This is a man who means to start a war, and if we don't stay focused, he'll succeed. We have orders, we should follow them," Steve said adamantly.

"Following is not really my style."

Steve smiled then. "And you're all about style, aren't you?"

 _Ouch, that hit a nerve..._

"Of the people in this room, which one is A) wearing a spangly outfit, and B) not of use?"

Daphne glanced down at her white and gold catsuit, then shoved the blueberries into her mouth, raising her hand. They all turned to look at her. She held up a finger, signalling for them to wait a minute while she finished eating. Swallowing the berries, she gestured wildly towards her suit.

"Spangly," she said simply.

Tony gave her a look of annoyance.

"Don't worry, Stevie," she began enthusiastically while light-heartedly punching his arm. "Now, we can be spangly together!"

He smiled down at her tenderly.

Bruce interrupted then. "Steve, tell me none of this smells a little funky to you?"

Cap paused for a moment, taking in the possibility but shaking it off quickly. "Just find the cube." He walked out of the room. Daphne contemplated for a moment then quickly hurried out after him, saying goodbye to Tony and Bruce first. As she left the lab, she heard Tony yell out; "Don't forget that you need to turn into a cat for me!"

She chuckled quietly as she ran down the corridor.

* * *

 _Helicarrier corridors. En route to Hull of ship. Night. **Steve**_

Steve was striding through the corridors of the Helicarrier, ignoring the looks of awe on some of the agents' faces as he walked past. He was so lost in his own thoughts that he barely noticed someone calling his name, repeatedly.

"Hey Steve! Stevo! Stevie Wonder! The Stevemeister! Steve!"

He finally turned towards the voice, breaking out of his reverie, to see Daphne running down the corridor. She was weaving in and out of the agents in the hallway, calling out an apology every so often.

 _How does she have such energy?_

Sometimes he couldn't keep up with her excitable moods. She acted as if someone had shoved tonnes of sugar into her body, though, he had to admit, it was oddly refreshing and endearing. Her personality was different from anyone's he'd ever known and it brought out a side of him that he didn't know he had.

She stopped in front of him, resting her hands on her knees. "Should not have had those extra brownies," she mumbled to herself.

He couldn't help the laugh that came out at that. "Why? Getting a little rusty?"

"I'll have you know, I could kick your ass anytime, anywhere," she threatened, raising a finger at him.

"Sure, sure." He grinned.

"Don't tempt me. Anyway, where are you going? And why do you look like a man travelling to the deepest, darkest parts of the Earth?"

"I'm looking for something."

She groaned. "Come on, man. If I wanted a puzzle, I would have brought a Rubik's Cube."

"Rubik's... Cube?"

"It's the most frustrating thing in existence, and not something I want to rant about right now."

"I have a feeling that if SHIELD were hiding anything worthwhile, then it would be hidden in a place that no-one would go to, right?"

"So you admit that you think something fishy is happening?"

"Maybe," he grumbled quietly. "I want to be sure before I make a decision."

They turned a few more corners, reaching their destination of the Hull Hangar. Steve used all of his strength to slide open the heavy iron door, leading into a secure storage room. He enjoyed seeing the expression of amazement and awe on Daphne's face, if he was being honest with himself.

They both cautiously walked into the room. It looked like a large warehouse, filled with stacked, metal crates. Steve looked upwards, seeing another level, and leapt up high, holding onto the catwalk railing and pulling himself up.

He heard Daph moan from below. "Seriously? Can't find a way up like a normal person?"

"Are you fine with making it up here?" He called out, a tad smug. He found that he could easily joke around with her.

"Does a bear pee in the woods?" She retorted.

She closed her eyes, seeming deep in focus. He couldn't help but use this opportunity to stare at her. There wasn't much light, but his enhanced senses allowed him to see as he would in the daylight. He watched as her features relaxed, face softening. Her ivory skin was only marred by the scar on her face. It didn't lessen her beauty at all though. Not to him. It defined her, made her different to all the rest. He continued to gaze at her, only for her to disappear in a flash of gold.

He looked around desperately, about to call her name, when he heard someone cough behind him. He span around and found her standing there, smirking at him. "Aw, did you miss me?"

He stared at her. It was his turn to be in awe. She shifted under his gaze, looking uncomfortable with the attention. He turned back around, searching for anything SHIELD might be hiding.

They entered another room filled with steel crates and started going through them. Steve opened a crate and froze, anger seeping through him. "Daphne," he called her over.

She stood next to him and peered into the crate with a similar expression. It was filled with HYDRA weapons. "Oh, crap."

He looked at her, in the way a parent might look at a naughty child. "Language."

"Seriously? _Now_ you worry about my language?"

 ** _Finished the chapter. I hope that Steve isn't too out of character. Please let me know if anything's wrong with this._**

 ** _Love you guys_**

 _ **-Jess** xo_


	10. So much for peace and quiet

"So much for peace and quiet..."

 _En route to Banner's Lab. Morning. **Daphne**_

Daphne was practically running after a frantic Steve, down the hallways of the Helicarrier. After discovering the HYDRA weaponry, Steve was more than a little anxious to confront Fury about them. She couldn't say she blamed him.

"What do you think this means?" Daphne questioned, wondering what was going on through his attractive head. _No shame in thinking the truth..._

"Honestly, I don't know. But we're about to find out," he replied with conviction.

They had rounded another corner and had reached Bruce's lab. They could hear part of, what appeared to be, an argument between Tony and Nick. Steve stormed into the room, looking pissed - for lack of a better word.

"PHASE 2 is SHIELD uses the cube to make weapons," he spat out, dropping a HYDRA weapon onto the table which caused Fury, Bruce and Tony to turn around. Steve faced Stark and said; "Sorry, the computer was moving a little slow."

"Rogers, we gathered everything related to the Tesseract." Director Fury tried to explain. "This does not mean that we're-"

"I'm sorry, Nick," Tony moved to the computer screen, turning it around to show plans of the weapons. "What were you lying?"

Steve laughed, though it was humourless. "I was wrong, director. The world hasn't changed a bit."

It was at that moment that Natasha and Thor walked in. Nat kept her eyes locked on Bruce while he returned the look, frustrated.

"Did you know about this?" He asked angrily.

"You wanna think about removing yourself from this environment, doctor?" She retorted, ignoring his question.

"I was in Calcutta. I was pretty well removed."

"Loki's manipulating you," she cautioned.

 _Like SHIELD manipulates us?_

"And you've been doing what exactly?" He argued, taking the words right out of Daphne's mouth.

"You didn't come here because I bat my eyelashes at you."

Daphne sighed mentally. She hoped that the bickering would end soon. She was hungry, and tired, and frustrated, and angry, and everything that you could possibly feel at once without spontaneously combusting... But mostly hungry.

"Yes, and I'm not leaving because suddenly you get a little twitchy. I'd like to know why SHIELD is using the Tesseract to build weapons of mass destruction."

"Because of him," Nick replied, pointing a finger at Thor.

The God of Thunder looked stunned. "Me?" He asked uncertainly.

"Last year Earth had a visitor from another planet who had a grudge match that leveled a small town. We learnt that not only are we not alone, but we are hopelessly, hilariously, outgunned."

"My people want nothing but peace with your planet," Thor tried to resolve.

"But you're not the only people out there, are you? And you're not the only threat. The world's filling up with people who can't be matched," He looked at Daphne then. "They can't be controlled."

Daphne looked around behind her before realising he meant her. " _Excuse_ me?"

Steve interrupted whatever Nick was about to say. "Can't be controlled like you controlled the cube?" He asked, sarcasm heavy in his voice.

"You're work with the Tesseract is what drew Loki to it, and his allies-"

Daphne snorted, unamused. "That's ironic."

Thor continued his speech. "It is a signal to all the realms that the earth is ready for a higher form of war."

"A higher form?" Steve quizzed.

Fury didn't let Thor answer. "You forced our hand. We had to come up with something."

Daphne's head started to spin with the speed the argument was escalating at.

"A nuclear deterrent," Tony scoffed.

"'Cause that calms everything right down," Daphne sneered, finishing Stark's statement.

Fury then turned to Tony. "Remind me again how you made your fortune, Stark?"

"I'm sure if he still made weapons, Stark would be neck deep-" Steve started to mutter.

"Wait! Wait! Hold on! How is this now about me?" The billionaire questioned defensively.

"I'm sorry, isn't everything?"

"I thought humans were more evolved than this," Thor grumbled.

Fury snapped. "Excuse me, did we come to your planet and blow stuff up?"

Daphne ran a hand down her face, picturing a nice, long holdiay with plenty of junk food and endless sleeping time. Anything to get her away from the inane arguing.

"Did you always give your champions such distrust?"

 _Nope, that's for the special ones..._

Natasha spoke up. "Are you all really that naïve? SHIELD monitors potential threats." Her expression was firm but softened slightly when she caught Daphne's eye, in an apologetic gesture. The mutant woman just shook it off.

"Captain America's on the potential threat list?" Tony burst out, finding it hilarious. "Are you above or below angry bees?"

"I swear to God, Stark, one more crack..."

"Threatening! I feel threatened!"

None of them noticed the blue gem on Loki's scepter glowing brightly.

It was hard for Daphne to determine one person's voice from the other.

"You speak of control, yet you court chaos," Thor drabbled on.

"It's his M.O., isn't it? I mean, what are we, a team? No, no, no. We're a chemical mixture that makes chaos. We're... we're a time bomb." Banner stated. _No, really, Bruce?_

"You need to step away," Nick warned him, harshly.

Tony slung his arm around Steve's shoulders, not in a friendly gesture either. "Why shouldn't the guy let off a little steam?"

Cap shoved his arm off of him. "You know damn well why! Back off!"

Stark squared up to Steve, trying to intimidate the captain. "Oh, I'm starting to want you to make me."

Daphne pushed her way towards them. "You two, stop! You're being childish, the _both_ of you!"

They ignored her. She was really getting sick of that.

"Big man in a suit of armour. Take that off, what are you?" Steve taunted.

"Genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist."

Steve smiled, eyes flickering dangerously. "I know guys with none of that worth ten of you. Yeah, I've seen the footage-"

"Steve..." Daphne tried to warn him. He ignored her... _Figures_.

"The only thing you fight for is yourself. You're not the guy to make the sacrifice play, to lay down on a wire and let the other guy crawl over you."

"I think I would just cut the wire."

"Tony, stop. Come on, you're better than this." Daph tried to calm the argument to no avail.

He turned his attention to her. "Why? Trying to protect your little boyfriend?"

She glared at him, secretly wishing that the earth would open up and swallow her whole. _He's not in a calm state, Daphne._ She told herself. _Don't kill him yet._

"Always a way out..." Steve said, referring to their original argument. "You know, you may not be a threat, but you better stop pretending to be a hero."

"Oh my God! Has everyone magically become deaf?" Daphne complained to no one in particular.

Something inside of Tony shattered. "A hero? Like you? You're a lab rat, Rogers. Everything special about you came out of a bottle!"

The mutant gasped. "Tony!"

"And _you_ ," he spat, facing Daph, who was standing in between the men. "You're not even meant to _exist_! A failed experiment in nature! You act so innocent, when you're probably plotting ways to _kill_ us all!-"

Steve had started shouting at him in her defense. She was immensely grateful that he cared enough to do that, but for now, she needed them to listen to her. _Light bulb moment._

Tony carried on yelling at her, but she just blanked him out. Anger rose up in her as the arguments around became muffled to her ears. She took a deep breath and let out a stream of golden wisps, which flowed around the room, touching everyone as it went. Suddenly all the shouting became silent. Literally silent.

They were still yelling, but she had muted them, making them all look like idiots.

One by one, they slowly realised what had happened and turned to face her.

"First of all," she started, her voice eerily quiet and clear with thinly concealed distaste and anger. "If I wanted to kill _any_ of you, you would be dead by now." She directed that at Stark. "And secondly, how old are you all?! You are being pathetic, arguing like toddlers rather than have a normal discussion like adults. You're yelling about things that have no relevance to the situation! We are battling against a force to be reckoned with and, if you can't put your heads together for one minute, then we are all but defeated, and the world will be in the hands of Loki."

They all avoided her gaze, looking uncomfortable and a tad ashamed. She freed them from the muting illusion but they stayed quiet. But, of course, Tony just had to have the last word.

"Pfft, I'm still not taking what I said back, old timer," Tony sneered at Steve.

He laughed bitterly. "Put on the suit, let's go a few rounds."

Thor found this amusing evidently. "You people are so petty... and tiny."

The argument commenced again. _And all my hard work has been undone... of course._

"Yeah, this is a team," Bruce muttered.

Fury stepped in. "Agent Romanoff, would you escort Dr. Banner back to his-"

"Where? You rented my room."

"That cell was just in case-"

"In case you needed to kill me," he finished coldly. "But you can't! I know! I tried!"

The room went silent at that, everyone looking at Bruce in despair.

"Bruce?" Daphne whispered, appalled at the revelation.

"I got low. I didn't see an end, so I put a bullet in my mouth and the Other Guy spit it out! So I moved on. I focused on helping other people. I was good, until you dragged me back into this freak show and put everyone here at risk!"

Daphne reflexively flinched at the word 'freak', a wash of emotions running through her. She watched as Bruce progressively got more and more upset, looking at Natasha.

"You wanna know my secret, Agent Romanoff? You wanna know how I stay calm?" Nat and Fury both reached for their guns as Banner picked up the scepter.

Steve tried to warn him off. "Doctor Banner... put down the scepter."

Bruce looked down towards his hands, stunned to see that he was, in fact, holding the scepter. The computer, next to him, started beeping.

"Got it," Tony said.

Banner slowly and cautiously placed the scepter back down and went towards the computer, checking on it.

"Sorry, kids. You don't get to see my party trick after all."

"Located the Tesseract?" Thor asked.

"I can get there faster," Tony stated.

"Look, all of us-" Steve started to say.

"The Tesseract belongs on Asgard," Thor boomed. "No human is a match for it."

Stark span around to leave but was halted when Steve held onto his arm. "You're not going alone!"

"You gonna stop me?" The genius retorted.

"Put on the suit, let's find out."

"I'm not afraid to hit an old man."

Daphne inhaled deeply. "Oh bloody hell! Shut up!" She yelled, slapping them both on the back of their heads.

"Ow!-" Steve cried out.

"What the hell-" Tony complained.

"Shush!" She commanded.

"But-" They both started.

"Nope!"

"Daph-"

"Not another word from either of you!"

Both men looked like they were about to protest.

"I mean it," she informed them firmly.

They glanced down to the floor, staying silent. "Great!" She beamed. _Finally, peace and quiet..._

Until...

"Oh my God!" Bruce murmured.

 _BOOM!_ Everyone was thrown backwards in an explosion. Steve, Tony, Fury and Thor flew across the lab while Natasha, Bruce and Daphne fell down into the lower equipment room. The mutant woman landed awkwardly on her back, yelling in pain as her left arm twisted from underneath her. She hurriedly searched the room, seeing Nat not far from her and Bruce, who gripped the grated floor, trying to maintain control on the Other Guy. He looked up at the women, his eyes turning Hulk green.

 _So much for peace and quiet..._

 ** _End of chappie! Hope you enjoyed it. I love writing this fanfiction. Thank you to those who have reviewed, followed or favourited either me or this story. It helps my confidence as a writer. See you next time._**

 ** _Love you guys_**

 _ **-Jess x** o_


	11. No! Don't leave me!

"No! Don't leave me!"

 _Banner's Lab. Morning. **Steve**_

Steve gradually sat up, looking over the room. Banner, Romanoff and Daphne were missing, leaving only him, Stark, Thor and Fury. His thoughts instantly went to whether the mutant woman was safe. His face fell when he realised that she would have been blown back with Banner. He trusted the Doctor but he wasn't sure if he could hold back the Hulk in this situation.

He forced himself to focus, standing up and searching for Tony, finding him not far. "Put on the suit!"

Stark replied instantly, not arguing. "Yep!"

Steve help the billionaire up and they both ran out of the lab. They could hear Fury on the earpieces. "Hill?!"

"Turn up that engine!" She seemed to yell at someone. "Number 3 engine is down! Can we get a run in? Talk to me."

An agent answered her. "Turbine's loose. Mostly intact, but it's impossible to get out there and make repairs while we're in the air."

"We lose one more engine, we won't be." She said grimly. "Somebody's got to get inside and patch the engine."

Nick Fury intervened. "Stark? You copy that?!"

"I'm on it!"

"Coulson! Initiate official lock down in the detention section then get to the armoury! Move out!"

* * *

 _Lower equipment room. Morning. **Daphne**_

Daphne kept her eyes locked on Bruce's shaking form, ready for any slight threat. She could hear Natasha mumble quietly to herself, helping her get free from under the rubble.

"I'm okay. We're okay, right?"

Daph glanced at Natasha quickly before returning them to Bruce, whispering to the redhead calmly. "Nat, listen to me. We're okay, but you need to go now."

Black Widow started to protest but the mutant woman cut her off. "No, Nat. Go now."

But of course, Natasha would not leave her friend and colleague and obstinately stayed where she was.

 _Why does no-one listen to me?_

* * *

 _Helicarrier hallway. Morning. **Steve**_

Cap and Tony ran down a dim, corridor that was filled with debris.

"Find engine 3. I'll meet you there." Tony instructed.

He nodded, and took off to find the engine in question. As he went, his mind unwillingly wavered towards Daphne, wondering where the brunette was.

* * *

 _Lower equipment room. Morning. **Daphne**_

The mutant woman was now standing, cautiously edging towards a changing Bruce. He was growing slowly, trying to suppress his rage.

Natasha started attempting to soothe him. "Doctor... Bruce, you gotta fight it. This is just what Loki wants. We're gonna be okay. Listen to me."

Two SHIELD soldiers appeared around the corner, freezing when they saw Nat and Daphne. Both women started waving them away rapidly. They quickly turn heel and scamper out.

"We're gonna be okay. Right?-"

"Nat, you might wanna-" Daphne started.

The redhead cut her off with a glare. The brunette held her hands up in defense, sighing exasperatedly.

"I swear on my life I will get you out of this. You will walk away, and never-"

"You're life?!" Bruce/Hulk growled threateningly.

 _Well, this is a great start to the day..._

Another explosion rocked the Helicarrier, making them stumble. The doctor looked at them, he started changing into the Other Guy just as the lights go out.

Natasha tried pleading with him. "Bruce."

Bruce gave them one last look as a human before transforming completely. Natasha managed to break free of the large debris, standing next to where Daphne was. The Hulk, as if sensing them, turned his head towards them.

Daph broke the heavy tension. "Nat. Go, now!" She yelled, shoving her up the nearby stairs, the Hulk hot on their tail. Natasha rolled under a turbine and started to crawl through the maze of pipes. Daph hung back, behind some crates, ready to defend her friend if needed.

The Hulk pulled the pipes out from above the catwalk and Black Widow fell through, stealthily escaping before he could get her.

The mutant came into view, creating a golden ball of energy and accelerating it towards the Other Guy, sending him flying across the room. He then turned his attention fully onto the woman, charging at her while letting out a primal roar of pure rage, echoing throughout the whole Helicarrier.

 _Bring it, Jolly Green Giant..._

* * *

 _Helicarrier port side. Day. **Steve**_

Cap pushed the door leading to the port side open with all of his strength, seeing SHIELD technicians run around in oxygen masks, largely unable to do anything. Engine 3 was definitely dead, a large chunk of the port side missing.

Steve heard what appeared to be an almighty roar. _Daph!_

He was torn between running off to help her or stay and get the engine working again. He sighed, knowing that he had to help Tony.

"Stark, I'm here!"

Iron Man flew in front of him before moving towards the broken engine. "Good. Let's see what we got."

Tony muttered to himself. Steve's enhanced senses allowed him to hear what he was saying. "I gotta get this super conducting cooling system back online before I can access the rotors and work on dislodging the debris."

 _What?_

The genius began pulling on the stuck rotors, looking over at Steve.

"I need you to get to that engine control panel and tell me which relays are in overload position." He flew away towards the cooling conductors.

Steve leapt over to the other side of the broken railing. He got to the control panel and opened it up at the front. His eyebrows furrowed.

"What's it look like in there?" Tony asked, over the earpiece.

"It seems to run on some form of electricity," he stated logically.

"Well, you're not wrong."

* * *

 _Lower equipment room. Day. **Daphne**_

The Hulk swung out at the mutant, making her duck out of the way. She led him away from where Nat was crawling underneath the catwalk, running through the network of metal rails, Bruce chasing after her. Suddenly, all sound stopped and Daphne froze. She turned around to see that he was no longer there. Breathing heavily, she crept around corners, keeping vigilant. The sound of a roar and then a thud brought her to her senses as she ran after the sounds. She saw the back of the Other Guy, creating a golden illusion of himself, distracting him. As the Hulk fought his clone, Daphne caught a glimpse of Natasha leaning against a wall, an expression of fear on her face.

"Natty?" She touched the other woman's arm gently.

The redhead looked up at Daphne. "I'm fine," she said, clearing her throat.

Just as Daph was about to reply, Thor came bustling through, tackling Bruce into the Helicarrier aircraft port. Everybody inside cleared out hurriedly as the God and the Other Guy scrapped. The brunette woman watched as Thor lashes out at Hulk, almost knocking the green giant off his feet. They kept on swinging and missing until Bruce had apparently had enough, bringing his arm down onto Thor. The God caught it, holding the Other Guy in place.

"We are not your enemies, Banner! Try to think!" Thor yelled. Hulk just retaliated by hitting out at his face, throwing him back.

Daphne thought she should intervene at this point. She sent an illusion of an enormous snake wrapping around Bruce's limbs, making him stumble and fall, trying to break out of it's grasp.

He roared out in anger.

* * *

 _Helicarrier port side. Day. **Steve**_

"The relays are intact. What's our next move?" Steve asked Tony.

"Even if I clear the rotors, this thing won't re-engage without a jump. I'm gonna have to get in there and push."

Cap felt something akin to worry. "Well if that thing gets up to speed, you'll get shredded!"

"Then stay in the control unit and reverse the polarity long enough to disengage mag-"

The confusing words mixed together in Steve's mind, making his frustration rise.

"Speak English!" Steve yelled, annoyed.

"See that red lever? It'll slow the rotors down long enough for me to get out. Stand by it, wait for my word."

Rogers looked around, noticing the red lever on the opposite side of where he was. He dived towards it, standing nearby, ready to help.

* * *

 _Helicarrier aircraft port. Day. **Daphne**_

Daphne strained to keep the illusion up, mentally battling against the Hulk. Bruce pulled and tugged viciously at the large snake, making Daph shake and sweat, struggling to keep up strength. Thor picked himself up, wiping blood off his lips. He extends his hand out upon seeing the mutants trouble, focusing intently.

The illusion gradually broke down, leaving the Other Guy free from the restraints. He turned at ran straight at Thor and, at the last second, Mjölnir flew into his hand. He swung the hammer at the giant, as he came closer, making Bruce crash into a nearby fighter jet. He angrily ripped off the tail of the jet and hurled it towards the God.

Thor swiftly ducked under the flying tail. He threw Mjölnir at Bruce, with all of his almighty strength, knocking the green giant down. The hammer was in the Hulk's hand. He tried to lift it to no avail. He strained, bellowing as he carried on his attempt at lifting the hammer. Thor jumped up, kneeing Hulk in the face, picking up Mjölnir and using it as a lock for a choke-hold. Bruce struggled to pull him off. Daph watched worriedly, quickly regaining her energy as she panted lightly from keeping the Hulk restrained.

He twisted away from the God, gripping his throat tightly. Out of nowhere, a spray of bullets, from an ESCORT 666 jet, smashed through the window towards Thor, Bruce and Daphne.

Thor ducked for cover while Daphne instantly put up a shield to her front. The Other Guy's tough skin meant that he wasn't injured by the shots, only getting more pissed off.

The Hulk grabbed the closest thing, which happened to be Daphne, and launched her out of the window, him quickly leaping out onto the jet. Daphne fell from the sky, summoning the energy for another illusion. The pilot ejected out from the plane, not without being shaken around by the Hulk first. The jet exploded, sending Bruce flying through the air, plummeting towards the ground, roaring as he went.

Daphne created a pair of beautiful, white, shimmering wings, propelling herself back up towards the Helicarrier, knowing that the Hulk would survive the fall. She zipped around, flying back inside through the smashed-up windows of the aircraft port.

As she landed, wings fluttering, she noticed Thor staring at her in awe. Daph hurriedly retracted her wings, wanting the attention off her.

"Let's find Loki, Thor."

He nodded, still speechless, and they both strode out of the room.

* * *

 _Helicarrier port side. Day. **Steve**_

Steve was keeping an eye out as Tony worked on fixing the rotor when he heard some men enter the port side. He stood, looking at them, wondering if they were there to help. His question was soon answered when they pulled out weapons and started shooting at him, throwing grenades occasionally.

Cap expertly leapt across to the other railing, towards the armed men. He began taking them down one by one, dodging bullets and punches. Once they were all incapacitated, more men stormed out firing at him. He grabbed a machine gun from one of the fallen enemies, shooting back at them.

A whirling sound distracted Steve for a split second, him turning around to see the rotors propelling fast, Iron Man using his boosters to move it. During his momentary distraction, the attackers used their advantage to fire again upon him, making him lose his footing and tumble off the Helicarrier. He had managed to grab onto a loose cable, preventing Steve from hurtling towards the earth at a bone-shattering speed.

* * *

 _En route to Detention section. Day. **Daphne**_

There was gunfire everywhere. Daphne and Thor cautiously hurried down the hallways of the Helicarrier, anxious to find and detain Loki. Several of, what she presumed was, Barton's men came bustling down the corridor they were currently in, firing at them continuously. Daphne had immediately procured a shield around herself and Thor, using energy bolts to repel them back - effectively rendering them unconscious.

Dozens more came out from behind them. She sighed, tired already. "Thor, go and find Loki. I'll hold them off!"

The God hesitated. She assured him quickly. "I'll be fine. Go and look for your brother."

He nodded once, rushing out of the hall.

Daphne turned towards the new threat, silently wishing for a long nap. They advanced towards her slowly, no doubt now aware of what she could do. She gathered her energy and strolled up to them, picturing them falling to sleep. A long, thick stream of gold, poured out from her hands. It swirled around the men, lulling them softly into a state of unconsciousness.

She stumbled, holding herself up against the wall. Illusions at a mass scale normally tired her, so she was used to the dizzyness that accompanied it.

God, I really am getting rusty, she thought, remembering Steve's earlier jab at her, when she ran after him in the hallway. That moment felt like years ago, not hours. Daphne ran a hand through her hair, feeling slightly more balanced than before.

She ran, as well as she could, towards the detention section, where she assumed that's where Loki would be. A pain in her chest stopped her abruptly when she was halfway there. She knew she wasn't injured, she would've noticed that at least. It felt closer to an emotional or mental sort of pain, rather than physical and it didn't soothe the already-frantic thoughts in her head.

She sprinted twice as fast to the detention center, spilling through the metal door. As she looked around her room, she processed three things at once. One was that the cell, that held Loki, was gone - most likely released into the air. The second thing was that there was a large hole in the wall opposite, like someone had been thrown through it. The last thing was that Phil was lying on the floor, coated in blood whilst looking alarmingly pale.

* * *

 _Helicarrier port side. Day. **Steve**_

"Cap, I need the lever!" Tony yelled from inside the suit.

"I need a minute here!" He replied, still dangling in the air.

"Lever. Now!"

Cap heard the sound of metal slamming against metal, understanding that it meant he had to hurry up.

Steve pulled himself up the loose cable, hauling up onto the railing. Barton's men fired upon him again but he ducked out of the way. He ran towards the level, pulling it hard.

He looked towards the rotor, seeing Tony fall out of a now-open vent in Engine 3. His suit was heavily damaged from the pounding it took, it barely keeping him upright.

Tony started walking towards Cap. One of Barton's men aimed a weapon at him, the genius tackling him into a wall. Iron Man rolled over, worn-out while Steve just sighed in relief.

* * *

 _Helicarrier detention section. Day. **Daphne**_

"Phil! Oh my God, what happened?!" She demanded frantically, rushing to his side.

"L-loki escaped. Th-the scept-ter... h-he stabbed me i-in the heart," he managed to splutter out.

 _No..._

"No. You're gonna be fine, okay?"

"Daphy, d-don't lie."

Hot tears burned her eyes. "No, no. You still have to tell me about that cellist of yours. We still need to h-have that film marathon. Y-you need to... to _live_."

"Daph, I-I've always loved you, kiddo," he rasped out.

It got progressively harder for her to breathe.

"Don't- don't talk like that," she cried out. "Phil, please don't leave me."

Memories flooded back to her. Her parents' death. Seeing them sprawled on the floor, in their own blood. Their eyes open and glazed over, never seeing.

 _Not again..._

"I-I can heal you!" She whimpered.

"W-we both k-know you can't hold an illusion that strong."

She ignored him vehemently, conjuring the familiar golden wisps of an illusion. They twisted and turned, glazing over his wound, but not healing. _What? No..._

She pushed harder and harder until she was sure she was going to pass out. Daphne felt a hand on her arm, looking into Phil's eyes.

"Goodbye kiddo," he whispered.

"No! Don't leave me!" She screamed when Phil exhaled softly, his chest not moving again. She checked for a pulse... Nothing. Tears were streaming down her face. Her heart ached with pain and loss. She had lost Phil, the person who had taken her in as a child. The person who had managed to worm his way into her heart. The person who she had always looked up to, messed around with. A person she had loved.

She sobbed violently for her fallen friend and father-figure, the first person whom she had opened up to after her parents' death.

Daphne put a hand to her earpiece. "Phil-" She cleared her throat which was raw from crying. "Agent Coulson is down," she choked out with grim finality.

A couple of minutes later, a bunch of medical staff burst through the door, searching for Phil's pulse as if she didn't check properly.

She couldn't stand being in that room. With one last glance at the man she had called a father, she left - an aching hole in her chest.

She spent God-knows-how-long wondering aimlessly through the Helicarrier. Every agent she went by seemed to shoot her a look of sympathy, knowing how close she and Coulson were.

During her walk, she came across Steve - who had an expression of sadness on his face. He made his way closer to her.

"I'm not going to ask you if you're okay. I probably already know the answer," he said gently, hugging her close when he stopped in front of her.

She buried her face into his chest, breathing in his pleasant and calming scent. "He's gone," she whimpered, mentally berating herself for showing vulnerability. _But it was Steve..._

Steve rubbed circles into her back, speaking in hushed tones. "He really loved you, you know? Said you were the daughter he always wanted." She cried out softly at that. "He wouldn't shut up about you sometimes."

She didn't say anything. Didn't know what to say. So they just stood there, hugging each other for reassurance, lapsing into a comfortable silence.

 ** _Not sure about this one though I have to admit, I cried when I wrote the Daphne/Phil death scene. I'm sorry if you don't like the constant POV changes - this chapter was difficult to write. Let me know what you thought. This didn't start out as the best chapter so I apologise for that._**

 ** _Love you all._**

 ** _-Jess xo_**


	12. I am never going to Tony's parties

"I am never going to Tony's parties..."

 _Helicarrier bridge. Day. **Steve**_

 _F_ ury had gathered Steve, Daphne and Tony back into the briefing room, their faces ranging in emotions from sadness to anger to shock. Cap was sat next to Stark behind the long table while Daphne, paced around the room, staying silent. He could tell that she was trying to hold herself together for Phil.

The director threw down the Captain America trading cards onto the table, in front of Steve and Tony. "These were in Phil Coulson's jacket. Guess he never did get you to sign them."

The super-soldier tentatively picked up the cards, which were stained with blood.

Fury continued speaking. "We're dead in the air up here. Our communications, location of the cube, Banner, Thor. I got nothing for you. Lost my one good eye." He then looked down and muttered. "Maybe I had that coming."

He paused for a moment, seeming to collect his thoughts. "Yes, we were going to build an arsenal with the Tesseract." He admitted. "I never put all my chips on that number though, because I was playing something even riskier. There was an idea, Stark and Collins knows this, called 'The Avengers Initiative'. The idea was to bring together a group of remarkable people, see if they could become something more. See if they could work together when we needed them to, to fight the battles that we never could. Phil Coulson died still believing in that idea, in heroes."

Tony apparently had enough with Fury's speech. He shoved the chair back roughly and stormed out of the room. Everyone watched as he went.

"Well, it's an old fashioned notion." And with that, the director left.

There was a long silence between the two remaining Avengers. Daphne stopped pacing and moved to lean against the briefing table, her back to Steve. He scoured his brain for something comforting to say, coming up blank. What could he say?

Her soft voice broke his thoughts. "What are we going to do? Bruce is gone and God-knows where Thor is."

"We fight," Cap answered firmly. "That's all we can do. We cannot leave the earth to defend itself against Loki, thousands of innocent people would die." He watched as she gradually turned to face him. Her face was blank, but her eyes were wide and expressive; showing determination tinged with sadness.

"Let's go and find Tony then."

He nodded and stood up, preparing to leave the room with her. She looked around then turned back to Steve. Daphne walked towards him, letting him know that she was ready to leave. He grabbed her hand and squeezed it gently, hoping to comfort her in any way he could. The Captain and the Mutant looked at each other for a second before exiting the room.

* * *

 _En route to Detention section. Day. **Daphne**_

The walk through the Helicarrier was quiet, to say the least. Neither of the two Avengers knew what to say or do, so they mentally agreed to lapse into a calm silence. That was the best kind of silence, the ones where you can be comfortable. The ones where neither person feels the need to end it with irrelevant trivia. Where you can just sit in the silence with that person and feel like you're speaking a thousand words.

Despite the calm, Daphne's mind was constantly whirling. All of her thoughts revolved around the fact that, had she gotten to Phil earlier, he might still have been alive. He dedicated his life to protecting her, no matter the cost, and she couldn't even pay him the same courtesy. No doubt that would play on her conscience for the rest of her life. The 'what if's.

She didn't miss the concerned glances her way from Steve. Normally, she would be peppy and optimistic. She would laugh in the face of danger. But she didn't feel like that at that moment. Daphne was grateful that Steve cared enough to be worried about her, but she really didn't want anyone's pity.

They had soon found Tony inside the detention section. Daphne was reluctant to enter the very room where Loki had killed Phil, so she let Steve go inside first.

Taking in a deep breathe, she massaged her ears. "Woosah..." she whispered, remembering when her and Phil had watched Bad Boys 2. They had found Marcus' way of relaxing himself hilarious so they copied his example. It had become normal for them. The memory released a sharp pain in her chest, and she hurried into the room whilst pushing back her thoughts.

Steve moved closer to Tony, Daphne not far behind him. "Was he married?" Cap asked quietly.

The genius turned to face them. "No, there was a uh... cellist, I think."

"I'm sorry," Steve apologised sincerely, to both of the other two superheroes, looking between them. "He seemed like a good man."

"He was an idiot," Tony stated.

"Hey!" Daphne cried out, anger unfurling inside of her.

Steve intercepted before an argument could be initiated. "Why? For believing?"

"For taking on Loki alone," he clarified, shooting the mutant woman an apologetic look.

"He was doing his job," Cap reminded him.

"He was out of his league. He should have waited. He should have..."

"Sometimes there isn't a way out, Tony."

Daphne stayed quiet throughout the conversation, not knowing how to react.

The billionaire scoffed, walking away slightly. "Right. How did that work for him?"

Steve paused for a second. "Is this the first time you've lost a soldier?"

Something inside of Tony seemed to break. "We are not soldiers! I am not marching to Fury's fife!" He yelled at the Captain. Daph flinched at his tone.

"Neither are we! He's got the same blood on his hands as Loki does. Right now we've got to put that aside and get this done." Steve took a breath. "Now, Loki needs a power source. If we can put together a list-"

"He made it personal," Tony interrupted, staring at the bloodstained wall.

"That's not the point."

"Yes it is," Daphne corrected softly.

"That is the point," Stark started, agreeing with the female. "That's Loki's point. He hit us all right where we live. Why?"

"To tear us apart," Steve realised.

"Destroy the team completely. Get us out of the way." Daph added solemnly.

"He had to conquer his greed, but he knows he has to take us out to win, right? That's what he wants. He wants to beat us and he wants to be seen doing it. He wants an audience."

"No way, I didn't notice that," the brunette said sarcastically, though a hint of a smile was present on her face.

"Right, I caught his act at Stuttgart," Steve informed with less sass.

"Yeah. That's just a preview, this is opening night. Loki's a full-tilt diva. He wants flowers, he wants parades, he wants a monument built in the skies with his name plastered-" Tony cut himself off.

Daphne gaped in awareness. 'Monument built to the skies with his name plastered on it'. Stark Tower.

"Son of a bitch!" Stark cursed.

* * *

 _Helicarrier medical room. Day. **Steve**_

Steve and Daphne strode through the ship, fully kitted in their uniforms, finding Natasha sat on a bed inside the medical room.

"Time to go," he informed the red head.

"Go where?" The assassin asked, confused.

"I'll tell you on the way. Can you fly one of those jets? "

Clint Barton came out of the bathroom then. "I can," he assured. His eyes widened slightly when he noticed Daphne by the door.

"Clint!" The mutant woman practically squealed, running over to the archer and squeezing him in a tight hug. "Oh my God, are you okay?" She fussed over him like a protective mother.

"Yeah, but... All of those people-" His voice became muffled as Daphne had pulled back and covered his mouth with her hand.

"No. You do not blame yourself. Loki did this," she told him firmly.

Clint could only nod, seeming to realise that he could not sway her decision on him.

Steve eyed him suspiciously, for a moment, wondering if he was over Loki's mind control. His indecision, on the agent, diminished when Daph's eyes silently pleaded with him. She trusted Barton. He trusted her.

"You got a suit?" Cap questioned.

"Yeah."

"Then suit up," he said with finality.

Hawkeye nodded at Steve in confirmation.

They all started to prepare for departure. Occasionally, Steve would glance towards the young mutant woman in concern. She was too quiet for his liking, though he knew that it was understandable. She looked up and met his gaze, as if feeling his eyes on her. She gave him a smile, albeit a small one and walked towards him.

"Ready?" She asked him in a quiet voice.

"Just about," Steve replied. "How are you?" Worry laced his tone.

"I'm fine... Well, as fine as anyone can be with a God planning to take over the Earth with the intention of enslaving all of humanity. Other than that, I'm peachy." Daphne smirked at him.

He breathed out a laugh. There was the attitude that was missing.

"Sounds reasonable," he chuckled.

The brunette sent him another smile, before making her way to the other side of the room. She took out her weapons and placed them on the table, inspecting them.

Steve slid his suit helmet over his head and held up his shield.

"Ready to go, Cap." Agent Romanoff's voice sounded in his head.

He cast a look over the three agents before him. They all returned his look with a similar look of determination etched onto their features.

"Let's go."

"And kick some Chitauri butt!" Daphne chimed in helpfully.

Steve laughed silently.

* * *

 _Quinjet. Day. **Daphne**_

The four Avengers walked towards a nearby quinjet, about to board it when a young pilot stood in their way, arms crossed and his face in a confused scowl.

"You're not authorised to be here-" he started.

"Son, just don't." Steve interrupted, full-on 'Captain America' mode.

The young man stuttered under Steve's unrelenting stare, moving out of his way slightly.

The group immediately entered the quinjet, going to their respective places. Clint taking the pilot's seat with Nat sat next to him, being co-pilot. Daphne lowered herself onto one of the benches, Steve standing in the middle of the jet.

They took off smoothly, silence stretching out between them all. Somewhere during the journey Cap started giving instructions or reassurances. Daph wasn't sure of which one as she had zoned out completely.

She worried about what would come from the battle. How many innocent people would die because of one God's lust for power? Would they be able to defeat Loki's army? Just the seven of them?

She was broken from her internal self-doubt by Steve kneeling in front of her, softly calling her name. He raised his eyebrows in a questioning manner.

No. They would win this. They _had_ to.

"I'm fine." Was all she offered.

Before he had the chance to reply, Natasha's voice ran through the quinjet. "Stark, we're heading north-east."

They could all hear Tony through their earpieces. "What, did you stop for a drive-thru? Swing up Park, I'm gonna lay 'em out for you."

"Mm, God I could use a really fatty yet delicious drive-thru, right now," Daphne muttered.

The quinjet soared through the New York streets. Romanoff got a machine gun and started firing upon the Chitauri. Daphne double-checked that she had all of her weapons.

 _Guns? Check. Whips? Check. Swords? Check._

A blast of energy hit the quinjet hard, making Steve and Daphne stumble. She assumed Loki had conjured the blast. The jet quickly caught on fire, causing it to spin, dropping out of the air as it passed over buildings. It came closer and closer to the ground. The group braced for impact and they slammed into the street.

A quick glance at the others showed that no-one was injured in the crash. Clint and Tasha unfastened their seat-belts and opened the ramp. Steve and Daph made their way out of the jet, the other two hot on their heels. They all readied themselves with weapons.

They walked down the road, stopping at a four-way junction in the middle of the street. Daphne surveyed the once-thriving city, which was now, for the most part, covered in rubble and debris. She shuddered to think of how many people had been killed already.

The entire city lurched to a stand-still as a deep, primal roar bellowed out, sending tremors through the foundations of the buildings. A large shadow formed over the group.

They all looked up simultaneously, feeling out of their element. From all angles, Chitauri soldiers clung to the side of skyscrapers, sliding down towards them. Some had managed to smash their way into the buildings, firing upon the people that had taken cover inside.

"Stark, are you seeing this?" Steve questioned incredulously.

"I'm seeing. Still working on believing," Tony's voice appeared over the earpieces. "Where's Banner? Has he shown up yet?"

"Banner?"

"Just keep me posted."

The four Avengers ran onto the nearby bridge, behind some upturned taxis. They each glanced up and saw Loki leading some Chitauri down the street in these large flying chariots. He fired upon the buildings and people, causing multiple explosions to resonate through the area.

Captain looked down the bridge from back of the taxi. Daphne joined him and saw people screaming and running away from several Chitauri soldiers.

"Those people need assistance down there," Steve informed them.

Nat pulled out both of her guns and shot at the alien soldiers. She turned towards Cap. "We got this. It's good. Go!"

He nodded at her then maneuvered his gaze towards Clint. "You think you can hold them off?"

"Captain," Barton began determinedly, bow and arrow ready. "It would be my genuine pleasure."

"Daph, you're with me," Steve told the mutant woman. She took out a golden whip as a sign that she understood.

The archer shot an arrow into a Chitauri's head, buying a few seconds for the Captain and Agent to run down the bridge, dodging explosions as they went. They both raced over to the plaza, Steve ahead of Daphne.

 _I blame the serum. Or the brownies... Nope, definitely the serum._

Both of them approached a bunch of cops, who continuously shot at the flying chariots to no avail. A young-looking cop ran up to, what appeared to be, the police sergeant. Steve rushed up to them, jumping onto a car in front of them, interrupting their conversation. Both of the police men looked up at Steve incredulously, eyes scanning down his suit.

"I need men in these buildings," Steve told them in an authoritative voice. "There are people inside that can run into the line of fire. You take them through the basement or through the subway. You keep them off the streets. I need a perimeter as far back as 39th."

The two police officers looked like they were about to laugh. Daphne stepped up next to Steve, crossing her arms as if daring them to question them. The sergeant seemed to falter for a moment.

"Why the hell should I take orders from you?" He demanded of the super-soldier.

As soon as the words had left his mouth, an explosion occurred behind Steve and Daph and two Chitauri soldiers attacked them. The mutant woman unsheathed one of her translucent swords and turned towards the one nearest to her, while Cap battled the other.

The alien advanced towards her, pulling out a large gun and shooting blasts at her. She dodged the bursts of energy with ease, slashing out at the soldier as she did. The Chitauri lashed out at her with its weapon, roaring in anger. Daphne only laughed at it as she kicked off a nearby car and flipped over the alien, swiftly cutting its neck as she landed. It slumped to the ground, dead.

She turned to check on Steve, seeing that he had also taken out a soldier without trouble. Both of the officers stared at the two Avengers in awe, having watched them take out the seemingly unbeatable aliens.

The sergeant turned his cop. "I need men in those buildings, lead the people down and away from the streets. I need a perimeter as far back as 39th."

Daphne turned to the Captain, both of them smiling smugly. They both took off in the direction of the other group members.

* * *

 _Bridge street. Day. **Steve**_

They arrived to find Clint and Natasha battling several of Loki's Chitauri and instantly sprang into action. Steve used his shield to bash the oncoming aliens, sending them flying down the street, catching a glimpse of Daphne brandishing her whips. More and more soldiers appeared, almost overwhelming the group until multiple bolts of lightning struck the surrounding Chitauri. They were sent backwards in a massive shock-wave before convulsing and dropping to the floor.

Thor dropped to the ground, landing elegantly.

Steve walked up to him. "What's the story upstairs?"

"The powers surrounding the cube is impenetrable," the demi-god replied grimly.

Stark's voice sounded through the headsets. "Thor is right. We gotta deal with these guys."

"How do we do this?" Romanoff asked.

Steve looked over at the group, eyes landing on Daphne last. "As a team."

"I have unfinished business with Loki," Thor stated.

Hawkeye scoffed. "Yeah, get in line," he grumbled.

"Save it. Loki's gonna keep this fight focused on us and that's what we need. Without him these things could run wild. We got Stark up top, he's gonna need us-" Steve was cut off by the sound of a motorbike. The superheroes turned to see Bruce climbing off it, looking around at the city.

"So," he started casually. "This all seems horrible."

"I've seen worse," Black Widow told him, glancing at Daphne as if in a shared memory.

Banner looked down sheepishly. "Sorry."

"No. We could use a little worse."

The two held each other's gazes until Daphne coughed loudly. Everyone turned towards her as she laughed quietly. "Perhaps this isn't the time for any chick-flick moments. At least until I have popcorn with me."

The group smiled at her comment, relieved that she had somewhat alleviated the tension.

Steve placed his hand to his ear. "Stark? We got him."

"Banner?" Tony's voice crackled through.

"Just like you said," he confirmed.

"Then tell him to suit up. I'm bringing the party to you."

They all glanced at each other, confused about what Tony had meant by that comment. Knowing Stark, Steve assumed that it wouldn't be a pleasant thing. As they pondered, Iron Man flew out from behind a building with a massive, flying, metal creature behind him. The rest of the Avengers looked up, getting into a defensive position.

"I... I don't see how that's a party," Romanoff stammered.

Steve heard Daph chuckle from next to him, though he could see flickers of fear on her face. "I am _never_ going to Tony's parties."

"Aw, and miss out on all of the fun?" Tony quipped through the earpieces.

"I think I'll pass."

Steve laughed slightly, watching as Iron Man swooped down, speeding through the street. The Leviathan barreling after him, crashing through buildings as it went. Banner looked back at Steve before slowly walking in the direction of the Leviathan.

"Dr. Banner. Now might be a really good time for you to get angry," Steve told him worriedly.

Bruce turned to face him as he continued to walk. "That's my secret, Captain. I'm always angry."

The doctor's body started to swell and stretched, his skin quickly becoming green as his huge, muscled torso ripped his shirt. The Leviathan got closer and closer to the group. The Hulk faced the large, metal monster and smashed his fist into the creatures snout, causing it to flip over.

Iron Man flew closer, extended his arm and fired a rocket at the monster, hitting a soft spot. The Leviathan roared out as it exploded, pieces of debris and burning metal descending over the group. Daphne swiftly drew out her energy and formed a vast, golden shield, protecting them from the rubble. Once the threat has averted, they all stood up straight, seeing the Chitauri army staring at them from on top of the buildings.

Steve looked at his fellow teammates, glad that they had finally come together to form a unit. To face a threat that not one man or woman could defeat alone. A soft smile made it's way on to his face as he realised that there was a chance that they could win this battle. As long as they did it together.

 ** _I apologise that this took so long. I had work experience and an Italian GCSE exam that I'm sure that I failed! Yay, go life! This chapter's a bit longer than usual, and I hope that you enjoy it. I am planning to carry this on with my own plot once I finish the movie parts. Sorry if this is terrible._**

 ** _Love you guys,_**

 ** _Jess xo_**


	13. Yippe-ki-yay, motherfucker!

**WARNING; There is quite a bit of swearing... Just thought you should know.**

* * *

"Yippe-ki-yay, motherfucker!"

 _Bridge street. Day. **Daphne**_

Thousands of Chitauri soldiers and even some more Leviathans flew out towards the group. Daphne mentally cursed to herself. Of course. _We can't get a break for one minute._

Nat turned to the rest of the team. "Guys."

Everybody looked towards Steve, the natural leader of the group. "Call it, Cap," Tony said.

"Alright, listen up. Until we can close the portal up there, we're gonna use containment. Barton, I want you on that roof, eyes on everything. Call out patterns and strays," he began. "Stark, you got the perimeter. Anything gets more than three blocks out, you turn it back or you turn it to ash."

Hawkeye turned towards Iron Man. "Wanna give me a lift?"

"Right. Better clench up, Legolas." Daphne snorted a laugh at the nickname, remembering to get Steve to watch Lord of the Rings.

Tony flew up with Clint hanging on to him tightly, transporting him to the nearest building.

Captain continued to give orders. "Thor, you've gotta try and bottleneck that portal. Slow them down. You've got the lightning. Light the bastards up," Thor nods and uses Mjölnir to fly away. Steve turns to the remaining Avengers. "Us three, we stay here on the ground, keep fighting here. And Hulk... Smash."

The Hulk grinned widely at that and leapt up, soaring high into the air and latching on to the nearest building, hitting several Chitauri soldiers. He dived to the building on the other side of the street, throwing the dead aliens towards the other soldiers. They tried to shoot at him, but Hulk just backhanded them easily.

Daphne span around when she heard a noise behind her, taking notice of the soldiers behind her. Deciding not to use any powers, she took off at a run towards them, sliding underneath the nearest's legs which seemed to take them by surprise. She swiftly unsheathed a sword and slashed at them. Dodging and weaving their own attempts at firing at her, she stabbed one of them in the chest. Daphne grabbed the fallen alien's energy weapon and fired at the remaining soldier, blasting it into the next building.

She surveyed her surroundings, firing occasionally at soldiers, killing them. She could vaguely hear Cap and Nat's conversation. "Captain, none of this is gonna mean a damn thing if we don't close that portal."

"Our biggest guns couldn't touch it."

"Maybe it's not about guns," Widow replied, gesturing at the flying chariots.

Daphne was cut off from listening by a soldier sneaking up behind her. She backflipped over it and snapped it's neck. _They need some new tactics..._

Glancing at the battle in front of her, she caught a glimpse of someone inside a wrecked building, staring at her through the rubble. He was gone as suddenly as he appeared. She jogged towards the building, hoping to catch sight of the mysterious man.

As she approached the building, a massive tremble ran through the earth, causing the large, stone building to start collapsing. Right where Daphne was. _Aw shit..._

Large pieces of debris fell first, followed by the majority of the structure. Summoning her energy, she focused on making a shield strong enough to hold the weight of the building.

A familiar golden sheet of protection encased her. She heard someone yell her name loudly, though it seemed muffled to her. She closed her eyes and felt a huge pressure on top of the shield. Worry flashed through her. What if it didn't hold? _Then I'll be a pancake._

More and more concrete piled on top of her, adding to the pressure, making it infinitely more harder to hold it up. The movement suddenly stopped. Daphne opened her eyes to complete darkness. _Am I dead? Gosh, death sure is boring..._

"Daph!"

 _Who was that?_

"Daphne! Are you okay?!"

It was a masculine voice. Very familiar. She tried to picture a face for the voice and came up with a muscular, incredibly handsome man with blonde hair and stunning blue eyes.

 _Steve._

She felt bone-tired though her strength was rapidly replenishing itself. She slowly managed to lift off the tonnes of rubble, using the shield that was somehow still intact.

Daphne ran her hands down her face and body, laughing loudly. _I'm alive! Woo! Not everyone can say that they survived a building falling on them!_

Suddenly a strong pair of arms found their way around her waist. She nuzzled into the persons chest, breathing deeply, still reveling in the miracle that had jusy occurred. Even covered in blood and sweat, he still smelt good somehow.

"What were you thinking?" Steve's voice murmured into her hair. His chest rumbled rhythmically as he spoke, which was oddly soothing.

"That I could really use a massage. God, I _ache_! Is this what it feels like to be elderly?"

The pair laughed in relief and amazement before remembering that they were in the middle of a war. They broke apart and continued to fight against the Chitauri.

Hawkeye's voice sounded through their headsets. "Guys, the bank on 42nd past Madison, they caught a lot of civilians there."

"We're on it," Cap responded.

They both ran towards said bank, jumping through the window. _Surprise bitches!_

Steve threw his shield the a Chitauri soldier who appeared to have a bomb. It was activated and beeping loudly. Two soldiers fired at them but the two ducked for cover, Steve kicking a desk at them. He quickly got up and put an alien into a headlock as Daphne kicked the other in the face, sending him flying. A soldier moved behind Steve and pulled his helmet off.

The bomb began beeping faster.

"Everyone! Clear out!" Captain yelled at the civilians and they wasted no time in escaping. The two Avengers continued fighting the aliens. One of the Chitauri rushed over to the bomb as it went off, sending Steve and Daphne through the window. The super-soldier landed on a car roughly as Daphne crashed into the pavement, rubbing her ribs. _Ouch. That's gonna leave a bruise..._

Steve clambered off the car looking around the city, Daphne picking herself up to stand beside him.

* * *

 _Manhattan. Day. **Steve**_

Daphne had joined him to look upon the horror that was New York. He still couldn't believe that she had survived that crash. When he saw the building collapse on top of her, he automatically feared the worst, especially when she didn't answer his calls. He didn't want to lose anybody else.

It was then that Thor had turned up and the three battled side by side, killing as many enemies as possible, determined to win the war. A stray blast of energy from a Chitauri had struck Steve down hard, Daphne took dealt with that alien quickly as Thor rushed over to help him up. Captain raised his shield back up, prepared for more.

"Ready for another bout?" Thor questioned him.

"What? You gettin' sleepy?" He joked back.

Thor's deep laughed echoed through the street before asking Daph the same question, to which she replied enthusiastically; "I was _born_ ready!"

A soldier had managed to creep up on her, probably seeing her as the weakest link. _Oh, what little they knew._

She just simply summoned a ball of gold energy, molding it until it resembled a large bundle of fire. Daph smirked, unleashing it onto the Chitauri, watching it flail around.

"Yippe-ki-yay, motherfucker," she muttered.

That was another thing about the mutant woman. Her vulgar language. Women back in Steve's day would never speak in such a matter, though it suited her personality in some strange way. However, whether it suited her or not, he was determined to break the habit of hers.

"Daph, language."

She just turned and gave him a withering look, amusement lingering underneath.

"Hey, Stevie Wonder. We're in the middle of a war, I think a bit of swearing is allowable. Hell, it's necessary." She grinned at him.

He marvelled in the fact that, even covered in blood, of her own and of alien origin, she still managed to look beautiful.

He shook his head, amazed at her positive attitude. "Whatever you say."

She opened her mouth to say something when Romanoff's voice came to their ears. "I can close it! Can anybody hear me? I can shut the portal down!"

"Do it!" Steve ordered, eager to get this over with.

"No wait!" Tony yelled, also speaking through comms.

"Stark, these things are still coming!" Cap warned, incredulous.

"I got a nuke coming in. It's gonna blow in less than a minute. And I know where to put it."

They watched as Iron Man held on to the missile, guiding it towards the portal.

"Stark, you know that's a one-way trip?" Steve informed him.

Tony flew higher and higher towards the still-open portal, gaining speed and suddenly flinging himself into the deep space beyond. All of the Chitauri soldiers and Leviathans suddenly keeled over and start shaking. They fell still, dead.

Daphne held her breath beside Steve, tapping her foot impatiently. They waited, hoping that Tony would fall through at the last second.

A massive supernova started coming towards them through the portal and Thor nodded to Cap.

"Close it," he said quietly to Black Widow through comms, guilt spreading through him.

The portal slowly closed up, but, just before it blinked out of existence, a small figure plummeted through, heading towards the ground fast.

 _Iron Man..._

Steve smiled. "Son of a gun!"

Tony kept on falling, never slowing down.

"He's not slowing down," Thor stated worriedly. Just as he prepared to fly up, Hulk jumped into the air and grabbed Tony, them both crashing to the ground safely.

Hulk gently put the billionaire on to the ground. Thor, Cap and Daphne rushing up to them. The demi-god ripped off Tony's helmet. He looked to be dead. They all lowered their heads in sadness. Hulk let out a yell of rage, startling the genius awake unexpectedly.

"What the hell? What just happened? Please tell me nobody kissed me?" He asked aghast, until he added. "Well, unless it was you, Kitty." He winked at her. She rolled her eyes at the eccentric billionaire.

"We won," Steve told him, slightly in awe at what the group had achieved.

"Alright. Yay. Alright. Good job, guys. Let's just not come in tomorrow. Let's just take a day." He paused, seeming to think of something. "Have you ever tried shawarma? There's a shawarma joint about two blocks from here. I don't know what it is but i wanna try it."

They all laughed quietly at his comments, relief showing through. No matter how agitated Steve could get with Tony, he was glad that the genius was still alive.

"We're not finished yet," Thor reminded them, looking up at Stark Tower.

"And then shawarma after."

Daphne laughed softly, helping Iron Man up from the ground. "Yes, Tin Man. Can't forget about shawarma." He smiled up at her, then frowned slightly.

"Tin Man? _Excuse_ me?"

"Well, I can't exactly call you 'Titanium-alloy man'. That just sounds stupid. Therefore: Tin Man."

She grinned at him, putting on an innocent face.

Steve chuckled at the two of them, thinking of how similar they are despite their differences.

 ** _This chapter is completed! Yeah! *high fives self* Hope you all enjoyed. Please review. Criticism is appreciated and respected. Wooh, I'm having fun with this._**

 ** _Love you all,_**

 ** _-Jess xo_**


	14. Maybe I have brain damage

A/N; Okay, just to clarify, using the phrase 'what the hell?' as an example.

For this chapter and onwards;

\- the writing in italics are Daphne's thoughts. Or Steve's, depending on the change in perspective. Eg: _what the hell?_ (Or when someone emphasises something; "what the _hell_?")

\- the speech in bold is the creepy voice in her head. Eg: **"what the hell?"**

\- the bold, italicised writing, inside the square brackets, are the flashbacks. Eg: _ **[what the hell?]**_

Hope this made sense. It sounded better in my head.

* * *

"Maybe I have brain damage..."

 _Stark Penthouse. Day._ _ **Daphne**_

The Avengers entered Tony's penthouse, searching for Loki and finding him inside a small crater, looking like utter crap. He was covered in dust and had a multitude of cuts and bruises, groaning out in obvious discomfort and pain. Daphne looked over towards The Other Guy.

"You did this?" She asked, pride lingering in her voice.

The giant, green man nodded his head, grinning widely. "Hulk smash puny God," he boomed.

The mutant woman laughed loudly. "Good job, Hulky!" She praised him. "Fist bump." She held up a fist, waiting for him to reply.

The Hulk lifted his fist and carefully bumped it against hers, being careful not to break any of her bones. They both grinned at each other before averting their attention to the beat-up Asgardian.

Loki slowly raised himself up by his elbows, looking at the team of superheroes. "If it's all the same to you. I'll have that drink."

"Yeah man, you're gonna need it," Daphne scoffed at the God of Lies and Mischief.

"Pathetic mortals," he grumbled.

"It's 'pathetic mortals that kicked your measly little ass' actually. You might wanna get your facts right." She smiled innocently, though there was an underlying challenge in her expression.

Steve coughed to cover his laugh while the others smiled at Daphne's attitude. Thor lifted his brother up and restrained him, making sure he couldn't escape.

"So," she started, clapping her hands together. "Time for some shawarma."

"What about _him_?" Clint spat out, gesturing towards Loki.

"Tie him up, gag him, fly him to the moon. I don't care. I'm hungry and I need food." She skipped towards the lift, pressing the button that would take them down.

The lift door opened and the group stepped inside. The elevator groaned under the weight of the Hulk, Thor and muscled super- soldier, but held firm for the silent journey downwards.

"All we need now is some tacky music and this'll be a scene out of a really bad movie," Daphne stated dryly.

"Man, you're cranky when you're hungry," Tony observed playfully.

"Yeah, or maybe it's the fact that a building fell on top of me. Maybe I have some kind of brain damage."

"You sure you didn't have brain damage to begin with?" The billionaire asked, chuckling.

She laughed with him as they reached the bottom level of the tower. The doors slid open to reveal a tall, dark haired man. She glanced up at his face and almost gasped out loud. His eyes were pitch black with no whites. He smiled at the group, but his eyes travelled towards Daphne, sending chills down her spine. She mentally screamed at herself, her survival instincts wanting to take action.

They all stepped out of the elevator as the mystery man stepped inside. She turned her head to glance at him, seeing that he was already looking at her. His eyes were brown. They were normal.

 **"See you soon, Daphne,"** an ominous male voice resonated around her skull.

He continued to stare at her until the door closed completely.

 _What the hell?!_

She had a calm and controlled exterior, but inside she was freaking out. Did he just speak inside her head? Despite his freaky eyes, she found the man vaguely familiar. She frowned, straining to remember.

 ** _[Daphne felt a prickling sensation run down her spine and turned, scanning the area quickly. Directly across the road from her was a tall man, dressed all in black with sunglasses on. Through the shades, she could swear that he was staring right at her.]_**

He was the man she had seen when Phil had recruited her. A feeling of pain stabbed at her heart when she thought of Phil, her eyes stinging.

 ** _[Glancing at the battle in front of her, she caught a glimpse of someone inside a wrecked building, staring at her through the rubble. He was gone as suddenly as he appeared.]_**

The same man had been looking at her inside the building that had collapsed on top of her. She swallowed heavily, her senses spiking with fear. Why? Why had he shown an interest?

 _Was he one of the mutant-haters? But he must have some kind of power. Nobody_ normal _could disappear that quickly._

She looked over towards the other Avengers, who were walking next to her, down the rubble-filled street. She didn't even realise they had made it outside.

The group didn't seem perturbed or suspicious of the man, which means they didn't see his black eyes or hear his voice. Maybe she was seeing things.

 _Oh, that's just_ brilliant _. I'm crazy. Yay! A free one-way ticket to a mental institution. Maybe I_ do _have brain damage._

Her thoughts consumed her so completely that she didn't hear someone repeatedly call her name, until a hand made its way onto her shoulder.

"Daph?" A concerned voice asked.

She glanced up to see a worried-looking Steve. "Yeah?" She replied with fake enthusiasm. Daphne realised that they were outside of the shawarma joint.

"Are you okay?"

"Of course. I was just daydreaming."

She didn't know exactly why she lied. Probably because she wanted more evidence before she started crying 'wolf!'. She didn't want to seem crazy to her team mates.

His facial expression showed that he didn't believe her, but thankfully, he didn't push it. She smiled softly at him, and entered the restaurant.

* * *

 _Shawarma restaurant. Day._ _ **Steve**_

The team were currently sat inside the shawarma restaurant, waiting for their food to be delivered. Steve sat at the head of the table with Daphne one side of him and, a now human, Bruce the other. Stark and then Thor were next to the Doctor and the two assassins were next to Daphne. Loki's arms had been bound and his mouth was gagged. He had a look of indifference as he slumped in the chair next to Thor.

Steve had noticed that the young brunette mutant had been acting very strange since they had left Stark Tower. She had become quiet and withdrawn, seeming to be floating around in her own thoughts. He assumed that the scale of battle had finally caught up to her.

A waiter had brought their shawarma up to the table. It looked like a type of wrap with an assortment of fillings. There seemed to be many different meats inside, mixed with herbs. Tony was the first to take a bite and moaned in, what Steve hoped was, liking for the food.

Daphne chuckled at the billionaire, taking a bite of her own.

"Mmm, this is like heaven in a wrap! Tony, you are a food God."

He laughed with her. "One of my many talents."

After that, the group had been pulled into separate conversations. Clint, Natasha and Thor were talking amongst themselves, probably discussing battle strategies. Tony and Bruce were speaking about some scientific experiments. The only ones who remained silent were Steve and Daphne.

The brunette seemed to consider something, opening her mouth before closing it, repeatedly.

"That man. The one inside the elevator, I mean. Did he seem _strange_ to you?" She asked him slowly.

He frowned at her question, wondering what had brought it forward. He thought back to the man they had bumped into, when they were inside the elevator. He seemed normal.

"No. Why?" He questioned, slightly confused.

"I don't know. He just seemed really familiar to me. Never mind." She sounded and looked a bit downhearted at his answer, making Steve even more curious.

"Come on, Daph. What is it?"

Her faced went blank before she queried playfully. "Do _you_ think I have brain damage?"

He couldn't help but laugh. "I am sure that you don't."

They smiled at each other, silently eating their food. Underneath the smile though, Steve's worry had escalated. Daphne wouldn't put that much thought into something as trivial as a familiar person. Something was wrong, and he was determined to find out.

* * *

 ** _Daphne_**

 **"Join us... You could be so much more."**

Daphne excused herself from the table with the explanation of needing to go to the bathroom. She schooled her features into one of comfort but showing a tinge of the tiredness that she felt. She could feel Steve's stare on her back as she walked away, knowing that he knew something was wrong.

She entered the bathroom and went straight to the sinks. She rolled up the sleeves on her suit, splashing water on her face.

 **"So much more..."**

Daphne looked up at the mirror above the sink and yelped loudly. Her eyes were pitch black like the weird guy's were. That, coupled with the scar on her face, made her look uncharacteristically evil. Like she craved destruction. She shook her head, her breathing speeding up. Closing her eyes, she counted to ten hoping that she was hallucinating. On the number ten, she opened her eyes and sighed in relief when she noticed they were their normal ice-blue again.

"What is happening to me?" She whispered to herself.

 **"You're becoming more."**

"Who are you?" She demanded, looking around the bathroom frantically.

 **"Someone like you. Someone more."**

"More than what?"

 **"More than ordinary... Extraordinary."**

Extraordinary? Like a mutant? Her brain rattled through suggestions.

 **"Correct."**

"How-how did you do that? Know what I'm thinking, I mean."

 **"How do you create true illusions? I was born like this, like you. We have a higher calling, Daphne."**

"I don't understand."

"I'll help you to understand," a voice behind her answered.

Daphne froze. She turned around slowly and saw the guy from the elevator. He seemed around her age. His brown hair was short and neat and he had a scar on the left side of his throat. He was wearing a suit and could've been confused with a normal, successful businessman... If it wasn't for his eyes. Those unsettling coal-black eyes. He had a mischievous smirk on his face, as if enjoying her reaction of fear.

"My name is Adrian Garnett," he informed, his voice low.

"You seem to already know mine," Daphne replied, seeming more confident than she felt. "Now answer this; what do you want?"

"You. Your abilities. You'd make an amazing contribution to my little group." He circled her, like a vulture.

Her eyebrows furrowed. "Your group?"

"Yes. It's a little hush-hush but I believe you can keep a secret."

She kept silent, confused and slightly fearful.

"It's a group of mutants," he elaborated. "Mutants wanting to make a difference to the world. I'm sure you'd like to help, right?"

Daphne scoffed. "Well, that depends on the difference you want to make."

He just smiled, drawing closer to her. He leaned in, inhaling the scent of her hair, grinning wider against her neck as she stiffened.

"I'm sure you've always dreamed of a world without humans persecuting us for what we are. Without them wanting us dead for being different."

"Where are you going with this?" She asked quietly.

"Change is coming, Daphne. And I'd like you on my side."

Her brain was buzzing with thoughts. She stared at him intently, trying to influence the truth from him.

"Too bad. I don't trust you."

"You will in time," he said in a reassuring voice.

"And if I don't?" She challenged him, unsure if that was a wise decision.

He moved closer so his lips brushed her ear. "I'll _convince_ you," he whispered.

Suddenly, without warning, he grabbed hold of her right forearm, squeezing it tightly. Daphne glanced down at his hand in confusion. Slowly, a fiery sensation ran through her body and the smell of flesh burning filled the air. She stuggled to get out of his grasp, imagining him spontaneously falling asleep. Nothing happened...

"The funny thing is that I'm immune to your illusions, darling." He grinned at her, laughing as she writhed in agony, trying not to yell out in, before completely letting go.

Daphne looked down at her arm in horror, seeing a black hand-print scorched onto her skin. She gasped out in pain as the cool air hit the burn.

"I'll be in touch. Oh, and I wouldn't tell your friends about that, if I were you," he said, gesturing towards the mark. "I have an group of powerful mutants willing to do _anything_... Remember that."

A flash of black, flickering flames and smoke engulfed him, and, as suddenly as he appeared, he was gone. Daphne rubbed the sizzling burn, wincing in discomfort.

 _Well, shit. What have I gotten myself into now?_

 ** _End of this little chapter. Sorry that it took me so long. I kept on changing and changing it, and I'm sorta happy with this one._**

 ** _I've also made it so Loki and Thor go back to Asgard the day after the Battle of New York. Anything after that will be of my own plot. Whooo!_**

 ** _Hope you liked it. Thank you to all who've reviewed, followed or favourited either me or the story. It's very appreciated._**

 ** _Love you all,_**

 ** _-Jess xo_**


	15. The life of the party has arrived!

"The life of the party has arrived!"

 _Central Park. Day._ _ **Steve**_

The Avengers had agreed to meet at Central Park to send Loki, who was handcuffed and muzzled, back to Asgard and to say goodbye to Thor. The surrounding area had been blocked off to civilians, probably to prevent any complications. Steve was currently standing next to Daphne, watching as Thor went round to shake hands with the rest of the group. His thoughts strayed to the intriguing woman beside him. Would he see her again? She was wearing a loose, grey T-shirt with an open-buttoned plaid shirt on top and a pair of light jeans with a pair of black boots. She was tapping her foot on the pavement. She was still radiant.

 _Is there anything she doesn't look good in?_ He froze. _Whoa, where did that come from?_ He shook his head of the reprimanding thoughts.

When the demi-god made his way up to the two, he gave Steve a nod and a handshake and he then attempted to do the same with Daph. She denied his brief goodbye and decided to make it more interesting.

"Nope, Thunder Buddy," she started, crossing her arms with a smirk. "I refuse a simple handshake."

Thor looked very confused by this point, much to Steve's amusement, who was watching the encounter with a smile.

Daphne lifted her fist up in front of Thor. "Come on, blow it up."

This did not do much to clear up Thor's puzzled look.

She sighed heavily and grabbed the demi-god's hand, closing it into a fist for him. She bumped their fists together and kept them together. "Now, make a 'blowing up' motion." She demonstrated what she meant and motioned for Thor to do the same. Once he did, Daphne squealed in happiness, a sound that Steve found he liked.

"You Midgardians have strange methods of greeting," Thor boomed.

Steve laughed. "No, I'm pretty sure that's just Daphne." He smiled fondly at the brunette, feeling a warmth spread through him when she beamed back.

"Aw, you know me so well."

Thor walked off towards Loki, preparing to depart as Stark opened the Tesseract's case. Banner took the powerful cube out and placed it inside of a glass tube which the God of Thunder was holding. He held the other end of it towards his brother, who took it reluctantly and they both stepped into an energy beam, disappearing.

Steve glanced around at the other Avengers, seeing them ready themselves to depart. He was thinking of visiting Peggy again, wanting to check that she was okay. He wanted to tell her about the mutant woman, hopeful that she would want to meet her.

He looked up to see Tony strutting towards him and Daphne. Rolling his eyes, Steve expected the billionaire to say some crude or sarcastic remark.

"Hey Kitty," he greeted Daph with a grin.

She laughed at his expression. "Tony, I don't like that look on your face."

He placed his hand across his arc reactor, gasping out. "You _wound_ me. Anyway, I have a question for you."

"No, I will not be your full-time pet," she replied instantly.

"Cute," Stark remarked dryly. "Actually, I was wondering if you wanted to stay in Stark Tower."

"Why?" She asked suspiciously.

"It'd be fun," he answered simply, shrugging his shoulders.

Daphne seemed to think for a moment. "Eh, why not?" She laughed.

Tony then turned to the super soldier next. "Wanna take up the offer as well?" He questioned, which surprised Steve.

He contemplated the idea. Him and Stark together would not be a good mix, though a nagging voice in the back of his head whispered that Daphne would be there. That nearly swayed his judgement.

"I'm going to be visiting some friends for a while. Thanks, but I'm good."

Stark nodded once, walking towards his expensive car where Bruce was waiting, calling out for Daphne to join them when she had finished talking.

Steve thought he saw a look of disappointment flash across her face, but it was gone in a second. He shook it off, deciding he must have imagined it.

"Visiting some friends? Do you mean Peggy?" She asked curiously.

"Yes, but I also figured I might try and find out if any of my old team mates, from the Howling Commandos, are still alive."

She smiled at him. "Well, good luck. If you want, I could do some research on them. Two heads are better than one, right?"

He grinned happily at her, grateful that she had offered help. "Thank you." He took out a SHIELD-issued mobile phone from the front pocket of his trousers. "May I have your number to contact you?"

She giggled at his tone. "Ever the gentleman." She took the mobile from his grasp, swiftly typing in her own number and saving it. She then pulled out her mobile and saved his number onto hers. "There you go," she said, handing him back the phone.

He glanced at the device, snorting a laugh when he saw her contact name. "'The Awesome One'? Your modesty is astounding."

She shrugged nonchalantly, grinning the whole time. "Well, what can I say? But don't worry, I named you 'Spangle Buddy' on my contacts. That's nearly as cool."

They both laughed together, stopping when they heard Tony yelling her name. Daphne created a stream of gold, making it float towards a still-shouting Tony, closing her eyes. When Stark suddenly pitched forward in a face-plant, the two Avengers couldn't help another laugh at the fallen genius. Steve even caught a glimpse of Bruce coughing to smother his amusement.

When they had calmed down, Steve brought Daphne into a goodbye hug, inhaling her floral scent. As they pulled away, he almost didn't notice the large mark that had been covered by her top. The sleeve had bunched up during their embrace, displaying a recent scar in the shape of... A _hand_ print? That hadn't been there before.

"How did that happen?" He asked firmly, gesturing the scar.

She stuttered, pulling down the sleeve quickly. He could see that her mind was whirling with excuses and he crossed his arms, looking down at her unrelentingly. "Daphne? Don't think about lying," he warned her.

The mutant woman sighed heavily. "It's a small problem. Don't worry, I'm dealing with it."

"What problem?" He didn't give up.

"Don't worry about it, Steve. I've got it under control."

" _Daphne_." He crossed his arms defiantly. His gaze was unrelenting.

" _Steve_ ," she mimicked, copying his tone and posture.

His expression softened slightly when she looked into his eyes. "You know you can trust me right?" He asked tenderly.

"I know," she whispered. "But right now, I need you to trust me. If it gets out of hand, I'll tell you."

He nodded, his eyebrows drawn in thought. What problem could she be dealing with? And why would it leave a hand shaped scar on her arm? Who would hurt her?

Daphne chuckled quietly, lifting her hand to smooth the frown away. He looked at her in confusion. "You'll get frown lines," she explained, laughing.

"See you soon," he murmured, leaning in to place a gentle kiss on her forehead before he could stop himself. He quickly turned and walked towards his motorcycle, still feeling concern for Daph.

* * *

 ** _Daphne_**

A small smile made it's way on her face when he kissed her forehead. His lips had been so soft- _Woah, woah... No, Daphne._ She shook her head as she watched Steve walk off to his motorcycle before mounting the bike and driving away. She inhaled deeply, briefly touching the new scar underneath her sleeve. She cleared her mind before any morbid thoughts could develop, turning towards Bruce and Tony, who were waiting for her. The billionaire scowled when she approached and she answered it with a bright smile, ignoring the glare.

"Did you really have to do that? It hurt," he complained childishly.

Her smile didn't waver. "You were yelling. It seemed like a good way to shut you up." She started walking towards Tony's expensive, ostentatious yet beautiful Acura NSX Concept car.

"Ah, ah, ahhh," he chastised her, grabbing hold of her elbow. "Not so _fast_. I saw that little forehead kiss there. What's going on between you and the Capsicle?" He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively, nudging her arm with a smirk.

Daphne's face instantly heated up. "Oh, _that_? That's nothing. We're not- I'm-we-no. Nothing's going on between us. Why would you think that?"

"Your reaction, for one. Also don't think I haven't noticed how our resident human ice cube looks at you, and you at him," he chuckled.

 _What is he talking about?_

"What?" She was genuinely confused.

Tony looked up to the sky with a groan of annoyance. "Why is everybody blind?!" He yelled to nobody in particular.

She chose to ignore him, thinking he was just speaking nonsense. She looked around, noticing her two favourite assassins were missing. "Clint and Natasha left without me! Can't trust those assassins. They're probably doing some SHIELD-y stuff," she commented, mostly to herself before addressing the two men. "Anyway, I need to go back to my apartment for my stuff. I'll meet you guys at the Tower."

Bruce had climbed into the car, while Tony just stared at her in annoyance. "You mean to tell me that I waited here for _nothing_."

"Yep," she beamed exuberantly, laughing. "I'm trying to build up your patience. It's working already."

He glared at the smiling woman, conjuring different methods of revenge. She just continued to chuckle, which frustrated him more, much to her delight.

He turned his back to her and slid into his car, facing her through the window, still glaring. She waved at them enthusiastically as they left.

Daphne glanced around at her surroundings, seeing that she was the only one around and liking the peace. She decided on walking back, wanting to have free time to think.

As she weaved through the still-ruined streets of New York, occasionally bumping into careless people as they bustled through, her mind wavered to Phil. He had been an incredibly influencial person in her life and she struggled to comprehend that he was gone.

She soon reached her small apartment, preparing to pack up her possessions. She figured that she would come back at a later time and get rid of the things that she didn't need along with putting her place out for sale. Not that she needed the money. SHIELD paid her _very_ well.

She grabbed two duffel bags, one for clothes and one for the miscellaneous, filling them up. Once she was finished, making sure to put her violin in one of the bags, she took a look around the place that she never really considered 'home' before exiting and locking the door.

* * *

 _Stark Tower. New York. Day._

Daphne drove towards the Tower in her red Audi R8 Spyder, one of her most prized possessions, courtesy of SHIELD's extravagant pay. Being an agent for most of her life certainly had very glamorous advantages, one being, having enough money to be able to buy an unnecessarily high-priced vehicle. She wasn't going to waste the opportunity.

Pulling up to the skyscraper, she quickly got out of the car and grabbed her duffel bags. A large man with dark hair approached her and she stiffened, preparing for an attack. Instead he stuck out a hand in greeting. She put her bags down onto the ground.

"I'm Happy Hogan, driver of Tony Stark," he told her.

She opened her mouth to answer when her phone buzzed. She held up a finger, pulling out her mobile and checking it. "Hold that thought."

It was a text from 'Handsome Genius'. She laughed, realising it was Tony. He must have gotten ahold of her phone somehow. _Of course, he would figure out a way to do this._

"Are you here yet? I want to see my new cat x." It said.

Daphne mentally groaned, despising herself for promising that she would turn into a cat for him. She quickly texted him back.

"Yeah. Do you have a driver called Happy? I'd rather not get murdered by a stranger."

A chime sounded. _God, he types fast._

"Yes I do. It's fine, he's kosher. And seriously, no kiss for me?"

She didn't answer his text and changed his contact name to 'Moneybags'. Daphne then looked up at Happy, who was still waiting.

"Sorry about that. Hi, I'm Daphne Collins." She shook his hand, smiling at the man. Now that she thought about it, he kind of looked like a life size teddy bear, though she doubted she could ask for a hug.

"Yes, Mr Stark has informed me of your arrival. Would you like me to park your car somewhere safer? Perhaps with Mr Stark's cars?"

She glanced back at her car worriedly, realising that it would probably get stolen if she left it there. "Yes please. But _please_ try not to scratch her," she pleaded with Happy.

He smiled at her. "I'll be careful."

Daphne gave him the keys, picked up her bags and walked through the entrance of the building, hurrying across the main lobby. She strode past the front desk, glaring at the dyed-blonde female receptionist, who had been giving her dirty looks. The woman looked away quickly and the mutant felt smug at herself.

She went into the elevator, pressing the button to the penthouse. Once the doors opened, she noticed that Tony had started construction to fix his beloved tower, and found the two scientists and a strawberry-blonde woman sat on the sofas in the living room. Tony and the woman was watching the news while Bruce was reading a newspaper, his glasses balancing on his nose.

"You guys look like you're having _fun_ ," she began sarcastically. "But don't worry, the life of the party has arrived." She threw her hands into the air dramatically, announcing her arrival to the three.

"Oh, Kitty!" Tony yelled, bouncing excitedly like a kid on christmas.

"Not yet," she told him firmly, placing her bags on the marble floor.

"But-" he started to protest.

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"Yes!"

"No!"

 _"Yes!"_

 _"No!"_

He turned towards the other woman, who had made her way closer to the two, pouting. "Pepper! She's being mean to me!" He whined, crossing his arms. Daphne swore she saw him stamp his foot as well.

The woman just laughed and extended her hand to Daphne. "Hi, I'm Pepper Potts, Tony's girlfriend."

The mutant woman took Pepper's hand into her own, shaking it. "Daphne Collins. How do you put up with him all of the time?" She asked, pointing at the billionaire and laughing.

"Honestly, I don't know." The strawberry-blonde answered, giggling with her, while Tony continued to moan.

"You two are ganging up on me! That's not fair."

Both of the females just looked at each other, chuckling as they did. Daphne had a feeling that her and Miss Potts would be great friends here.

 _ **Sorry this took ages. I kept on re-writing it and hating each one so I'm kind of okay with this one. This was mostly a filler chapter, no action yet but more to come. Thank you to all who have reviewed, followed and favourited either me or the story, and thank you for the support. Hope you enjoy.**_

 _ **Love you all,**_

 _ **-Jess xo**_


	16. I don't want to grow up

"I've decided that I don't want to grow up..."

 _En route to visit Peggy. Day._ _ **Steve**_

Steve pulled up outside of the building that he had visited many times. He climbed off of his motorbike and took a long look at the outside of the structure. It was a large, brick-made building with a beautiful garden in the front yard which traveled towards the back. He sighed happily before climbing the steps that led to the front door.

Entering the building, he made his way towards the room that he knew belonged to Peggy. Steve knocked lightly on the thick wooden door, waiting for a few seconds before a faint voice sounded.

"Come in."

He slowly opened the door and saw Peggy Carter led in her bed, looking tired. She looked much the same as the last time he visited her. Her hair grey hair was short and curled and she wore a white nightdress. He smiled down at the elderly woman.

"Steve," Peggy greeted softly in her, still prominent, British accent. He was briefly reminded of Daphne's slight English intonation.

"Hey Peg. How have you been?"

He sat down in the chair that was next to her bed and grabbed hold of her wrinkled hand, giving it a quick squeeze.

"Ah, I've had my good and bad days," she rasped out. "I heard about that alien army incident. Are you okay?" She had a look of concern on her face.

He chuckled quietly. "I'm fine, Peg. Super-soldier, remember?" He said, pointing to himself as the words left his mouth.

Peggy gave him a knowing look. "Physically, I know you're fine. But I meant emotionally."

Steve sighed. "It was hard," he began, internally shuddering as he remembered his gripping fear when he saw that building fall onto a certain female mutant. "But we got through it. I'm fine, physically _and_ emotionally."

She gave him a small smile which he returned happily. They both spent hours talking about everything that had happened during the time they hadn't seen each other. Peggy had told him more about her family and he had listened with a content smile on his face, watching as her eyes lit up during the conversation. He was suddenly reminded of Daphne and the way her eyes did the same when she was speaking of something passionately.

"Who is she?" Peggy's soft voice brought him back to reality.

"Who?" He asked, confused at the question.

"The girl that's making you smile like that," she elaborated with an affectionate chuckle.

Steve wasn't even aware that he was smiling, or that his distraction was so noticeable. He stuttered slightly, not knowing what to say as he saw Peggy's grin widen.

"Daphne," he managed to get out.

"I like that name," she complimented. "Where did you meet her?"

"During the battle with Loki. She's a part of the Avengers."

The elderly woman's eyes widened noticeably. "Is she the one that had that building fall on her?" She asked in bewilderment.

"Yeah. How did you know that?" He questioned with a befuddled expression.

"It was on the news. Everybody here assumed she had died."

Steve laughed, shaking his head. "She's too persistent to die. She'd most likely argue with the Grim Reaper until he brought her back to life."

Peggy joined in with the laughter. "I'd like to meet her one day."

"I think she'd like that," he informed her.

She paused for a moment, staring at Steve like she could look into his soul. It unnerved him, making him want to know what she was thinking.

"She seems good for you," she told him, smirking in an all-knowing way.

He didn't know what he was expecting, but that wasn't it. "What do you mean?"

"Your eyes light up when you speak of her. It seems that she's got you wrapped around her finger," Peggy chuckled. "If that's not a sign then I don't know what is."

He thought about her words. It was true that he was happier when he was with the mutant woman, he could joke with her like he couldn't with others. She was beautiful, yet it seemed that she didn't realise it and they fought together, as a unit, during the battle of New York, looking out and protecting each other. Steve was genuinely confused of what his feelings were towards the female though.

"Nothing's going on between us," he said, trying to make that clear though, to his surprise, he felt a little downhearted by the thought.

"We'll see," she replied. Her eyes had a mischievous glint in them, making Steve wonder what was going on in her head.

The pair went back to talking about normal, mundane subjects. In the back of Steve's mind, however, he was still running over the conversation they had previously, wondering if what Peggy said might be true.

* * *

 _Stark Tower. Day._ _ **Daphne**_

 _*1 week after the battle of New York*_

"For a billionaire, you're really not good at entertainment," Daphne was complaining as she lounged about on one of the main living rooms' sofas. She stretched out as far as she could fit, led in the shape of a starfish, an arm dangling off the edge of the cream sofa.

It had only been about a week since the very tiring and draining battle against the crazy aliens, but Daphne had fit in well inside the Tower. Her and Tony had been relentless in the teasing but there's only so much a person can do before the inevitable boredom sets in.

"Why don't you turn into a kitten for me?" He Tony pleaded from the opposite couch, tinkering with a small device.

She managed to stifle a groan of annoyance. Daphne had been successful in avoiding that subject for the majority of her time with the former, self-proclaimed 'playboy', but he was utterly set on having her shift for him.

She just glared at him, signalling to him that she wasn't going to bow down to his wants.

"Go do something," he told to her, apparently tired of her whining.

"But _that's_ the problem... There's nothing to do!"

The genius started mumbling something about 'Captain', snorting with laughter after saying it. Daphne frowned in confusion and annoyance, not hearing what he said. Though, knowing Tony, it was probably something inappropriate and/or suggestive.

"What?" She demanded in a threatening voice.

"Nothing, dear," he sighed, sounding like a domestic husband.

She couldn't help the bubble of laughter that escaped her lips after the comment, giggling harder once she saw the withering look he gave her.

He opened his mouth to say something when Pepper conveniently walked into the room. She glanced at the pair in front of her with her eyebrows raised in a silent question. They both quickly looked away from her probing gaze, pretending that they didn't know she was there. The strawberry blonde sighed and walked over to the sofa that Tony was sat on and joined him.

"JARVIS, please put the TV on," she called out to the bodiless Artificial Intelligence system.

"Of course, Miss Potts."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome," JARVIS sounded out. Daphne liked the AI because he had a subtle British accent like her and he had a sense of humour which is surprising for a machine. She figured that Tony must have given him sarcasm.

While Pepper was watching TV, Daphne glanced over at Tony, who was already looking at her, and they both started silently giggling like schoolgirls, trying to be quiet.

Soon though, the snickering got old and she drifted back into a state of boredom. So she resorted to making fun of the news reporters for who-knows how long.

"His nose looks like a potato."

"Why is she wearing that?"

"He needs to get his priorities straight."

"What is with his moustache?"

After about ten minutes of this, Tony seemed about ready to snap, though he looked like he wanted to laugh at some of her comments. "Please, please, _please_ , Kitty. Stop talking."

She groaned out loud, throwing her head back in frustration at the world, missing when Tony and Pepper looked at her in amusement. "Boredom seems to be the general consensus of the day. Why is that?"

"Because life doesn't like you," the billionaire snarked automatically, yelping when Pepper nudged his side with her elbow.

Daphne seemed to ponder that idea for a minute. "Probably. I wouldn't blame it. Where's Bruce?"

"In the lab," Tony answered, without looking at her. "So I wouldn't pester him, if I were you."

She scoffed. "Per- _lease_. I don't _pester_ people. I illuminate their lives," she boasted, making wild hand gestures to emphasise her point.

Stark looked at her in apprehension. "Yeah, I'm sure that's it," he told her dryly.

The mutant sighed dramatically, letting her eyes flutter close. She allowed her mind to run free, random images of her past and of the present popping into her head. She thought about how much her life had changed over the past week. She had been sat at home, bored out of her mind, went on an awesome adventure, gained some friends and lost one, and now was sat inside Stark Tower, bored out of her mind.

As she thought of her new friends and teammates, her subconscious floated towards a certain blonde, hot super-solider, wondering what he was doing at the moment. Yes, she missed him a lot, probably more than Daphne would like to admit. She missed his sense of humour and the joking around. She missed his level-headed reasoning, though that tended to go out of the window when he was arguing with Tony. She missed that his smile brightened up his whole face. She just missed _him_. And it's only been a week since she last saw him.

 _Ugh, I'm turning into a sap. What's next? Poetry?_

Just as she was about to get up, she felt something buzzing in the front pocket of her distressed jeans. Daphne quickly slipped her phone out and checked the screen. The contact name of the person calling her was; "One-eyed Wonder", meaning Director Fury.

She exhaled sharply in obvious irritation and pressed the button that would answer the call, putting the device to her ear as she did.

"To what do I owe the pleasure, Nicky?" She drawled in greeting.

"Drop the smartass attitude, Collins. You've got a mission."

She blinked in surprise, then processed his words properly and groaned loudly, gaining the attention of Tony and Pepper.

"Come on! I'm on my break! You know, from saving the world and whatnot."

She could hear him scoff over the line. "Well, I guess your break's over then."

 _That cheeky mother-_

"You're horrible, you know that, right?"

"Suck it up. A car will be at Stark Tower shortly to take you to headquarters, so get ready."

"What should I expect from the mission, sir?" She asked, deciding to go into 'serious agent' mode.

"The unexpected," he answered simply, abruptly hanging up the phone afterwards.

"Because that's not vague at all," Daphne muttered sarcastically, shaking her head scornfully at the lack of information Fury had given her. She got up from the sofa, preparing to leave while stuffing her phone back into her pocket.

"Where're you going, Goldie?" Tony asked curiously. She scoffed at the nickname, which obviously referred to the fact that her illusions started with golden wisps.

"To Netherland," she deadpanned. "I've decided that I don't want to grow up. Adults are boring."

"What?" The billionaire questioned in befuddlement.

She raised her eyebrows skeptically, crossing her arms to create the perfect 'what the hell?' look. "Seriously? You've never watched Peter Pan?"

Tony looked around the room as if the answer would magically appear before him. "Should I have?"

The woman could only stare at the genius in pure, unconcealed shock. "When I get back, I'm forcing you to watch it. Got it?"

"Aye aye, Captain," he responded with a mocking salute, Pepper shaking with silent laughter next to him.

Daphne just flipped him off as she turned away from him.

The mutant woman hurriedly made her way to the elevator in the tower, pressing the button that would take her down to her personal floor. Tony had decided to rename 'Stark Tower' to the 'Avengers Tower', mostly due to the fact that all of the letters, except from 'A', had fallen off from the top of the building. He was going to try to contact the rest of the group to see if they wanted to stay with them.

The elevator doors opened on Daphne's floor and she hastened to her little weapons room that she had included on the floor. The room had tables filled with her favourite, translucent blades, their sheaths and her golden whips inside covers. There were a mixture of different guns and knives hanging on the walls, from snipers to machetes, it was all there. She'd have to thank Natasha for her varied range of weaponry.

She rushed to get her white and gold catsuit on, with matching white combat boots, and armed herself with an assortment of weapons. She had two handguns, holstered, on her hips and two of her translucent swords, in sheaths, strapped to her back. Daphne grabbed a few grenades and stuck them on her belt along with two of her whips. Her phone buzzed, showing a text to tell her that a SHIELD vehicle had arrived, and she tied her long, auburn hair back in a high ponytail.

The brunette rode down the elevator to the lobby of the tower and stalked to the entrance, noticing the unmarked SHIELD SUV sitting out front. "So cliché," she grumbled to herself as she climbed into the car, buckling her seat-belt up as the driver maneuvered the car through the maze of streets.

 ** _End of this chapter. This was mostly a filler chapter because I had major writers block recently. Hopefully this was okay, I had to keep on rewriting this. Still not very happy with this. Next chapter will have more action in it, I promise._**

 ** _Thank you to those who have reviewed, followed or favourited either me or this story. You guys are awesome._**

 ** _I love you all,_**

 ** _-Jess xo_**


	17. Team Spangles Reunited

Team Spangles; Reunited

Steve Rogers sat down onto a kitchen stool, eating a bowl of pasta, which was surprisingly delicious, that he had managed to make. Cooking seemed so much harder to him, in the modern times. There were so many buttons and admittingly complicated procedures involved in creating a simple meal. But, somehow, he had coped.

Just as he had finished his meal, he heard someone knock on the front door of his apartment. His walked over to the door with furrowed eyebrows, wondering if someone had perhaps gotten the wrong apartment. Steve pulled the door open to reveal a very familiar figure.

"Director Fury," the super-solider acknowledged.

"Captain," Fury greeted him with a nod.

Steve tilted his body slightly and gestured, with his arm, into the interior of the apartment, signalling that the other man could enter.

Nick Fury stalked inside and stopped once he reached the living room, looking around in, what appeared to be, approval.

"I like what you've done with the place."

Steve couldn't help but mentally disagree. Though it was clean and had several items of furniture, there wasn't anything to indicate towards the person living there. No personal items or added colour. No personality.

So he just nodded at Fury's statement, choosing not to say anything extra.

"I've got a mission for you."

Steve laughed quietly, channeling his inner-Daphne. "Well, you're certainly not beating around the bush."

The Director smiled tightly. "You've spent too much time with Agent Collins."

Steve crossed his arms but didn't attempt to correct the man. For some reason, Fury's comment irritated him. "I don't necessarily see that as a bad thing," he replied, defending the mutant woman. "Anyway, what's the mission?"

He handed the soldier a picture from his coat pocket. It showed a thin man with circular spectacles and short greying hair. "This is Luis Eichenberg. We have received Intel that he is attempting to create an army of sorts. We'll need to bring you in to headquarters to debrief you. You'll be working with one of our agents."

"Which agent?"

The Director seemed to smirk at the question. "You'll find out soon enough."

The Captain nodded once, though slightly reluctant considering he didn't know who he was working with. "Okay, when do I leave?"

"A car's outside already. You'll have an opportunity to gather the things you need, once you're debriefed," Fury told him before turning on his heel and striding out.

"What should I expect from the mission, sir?" He called out after the retreating man.

Nick halted and swiveled his head back towards Steve, with - what appeared to be - an amused smirk. "The unexpected," he answered mysteriously.

"Why do I get the feeling that you've said that before?"

"Because I have."

And then the Director was gone from the apartment.

Steve glanced out the window to see that there was, indeed, a standard SHIELD SUV outside. Sighing heavily, he grabbed his brown, leather jacket, put on his shoes and left his apartment. He made sure that the door was locked before going down several flights of stairs and outside of the apartment complex.

He climbed into the vehicle, buckling his seatbelt up - which wasn't really necessary for him, a car crash wouldn't kill him with his enhanced strength and healing factor.

The SHIELD agent said nothing as he started the car and drove through the busy streets of New York.

Steve pondered on what he might come across during the mission. Why would someone create an army? And an army of what? Humans? Super-soliders? Mutants?

His mind soon traveled towards the agent that he would be working with him. Who was he? Or her? Someone he already knew? That would probably explain that suspicious look on Fury's face.

He continued with his internal monologue, for the remainder of the journey, until they reached a large structure that was the SHIELD headquarters. Steve got outside of the car, took a deep breath and walked to the entrance of the facility.

》》》》》》

 _SHIELD headquarters. Debriefing room. Day._ ** _Daphne_**

"Have you ever... kissed a dog?"

"What? Please tell me why _anyone_ would do that?" Maria Hill looked thoroughly annoyed and slightly disgusted at the inquiry, while Natasha and Clint just held expressions of amusement, though the redheaded assassin covered hers up better.

Daphne smirked, cheering mentally. Irritating Agent Hill was fast becoming her favourite pastime. It was one of the only things that was even remotely entertaining. So why pass up the opportunity?

"It was just a question. _God_ , no need to get your knickers in a twist."

Director Fury _'_ _oh so'_ conveniently decided to step into the room at that point, quickly earning silence and stiff postures from Hill and the two assassins. Daphne being Daphne, however, didn't think it necessary to give him that courtesy.

"Ah, Nicky! How've you been, _mi amigo_?"

She was rewarded with Fury's one-eyed devil stare. _So generous..._

"Well, I'm assuming you have a _plethora_ of free time, since you decided to drag me into this _lovely_ little room of yours." Remember to note the very heavy sarcasm there.

"You're an agent of SHIELD," Nick reminded her, unamused.

Daphne leveled her expression to one of frustration. "Then tell me the mission you brought me here for. Or do you expect me to read your mind?" She gave him a look of feigned sadness. "Sorry to disappoint, but I do not have Jedi mind powers."

"Patience is a virtue," Fury told her in a calm voice.

"Yes, and it's also something I lack." She stood up then, turning up her sass mode. "So I bid you _adieu_ and may the force be with you. Hey, that rhymed!" She chuckled at her revelation.

"Sit down, Agent Collins."

She blinked at the Director in disbelief before laughing loudly. "What do you think I've been doing for the past..." She pulled out her phone to check the time. "Two _hours_?"

"Annoying the agents?"

Daphne raised her eyebrows. "Yeah, well that's not hard. You need to train them better in the resistance area. That needs work."

Clint smothered a snort of laughter which earned him a withering look from Hill.

"Not to mention, I've been in my suit for the _whole_ time! Do you have any idea how _hard_ it is to squeeze into the skin-tight suits? How much time and effort it takes? _No_ , you don't. What was going through your head at the time? 'Oh let's get Daphne to get dressed into her suit and arm herself with hundreds of weapons-"

"It's not quite _hundreds_ , Daph," Clint interjected.

"Shut it, Katniss! I'm ranting. Where was I? Oh _yes,_ 'with hundreds of weapons and make her wait for two hours for fun'? You called me at ten twenty-three, _in the morning_ , by the way. That's a _despicable_ time to call someone. I could've been asleep, you know. You're lucky I woke up early. Anyway, it's now about half-past twelve. That's _eating_ time! Do you realise that I could die right now?"

Hill coughed something that sounded like 'overreaction' which made the mutant woman glower towards her. _I'll show her overreaction. Stupid little-_

Daphne opened her mouth to make some sarcastic remark, or maybe a string of profanities, when she was rudely interrupted - _again -_ by Clint. Maybe it was for the best. She wasn't sure what was about to come out of her mouth, but she could guarantee that it wouldn't be pleasant.

"Why didn't you just teleport out?"

She paused in her reply, cursing herself for not thinking of that. She quickly scanned her brain for an excuse, not wanting the agents to know that she forgot about her own abilities.

"It's called 'being _polite_ '. Maybe you've heard of it?" She directed the question towards Fury. "Anyway, it would probably knock me out since my energy is already too low. I need sustenance!"

Director Fury rolled his eyes - well, _eye_ \- at her dramatic complaints and Daphne just had the thought that she could easily become an actress, if she wanted.

Before anyone could break the awkward - albeit short - silence, there was a tentative knock at the door and everybody span towards the sound.

"Enter," Fury barked out.

 _Geez,_ someone's _got a stick up his ass._

A young, blonde male agent slowly opened the door. He tried to look firm and steady, but the slight tremble of his mouth and the constant flicker of his eyes, betrayed his fear. Whether he was afraid of Fury, the three fearsome agents or the 'dangerous' mutant, Daphne wasn't sure.

"Director, Captain's here."

The female mutant perked up at the word 'Captain', suddenly showing an intense amount of concentration.

"Let him in."

The male agent stepped aside, allowing the 'legendary' Captain America through the door. He was wearing a normal, blue T-shirt with jeans and a brown leather jacket. _But let's be honest, he could be wearing a bin bag and still look hot._ Normally, Daphne would reprimand herself for those thoughts but she couldn't think of a suitable reason why she should. No shame, no shame.

She practically squealed at the sight of her good friend and ran towards him, tackling the soldier in a tight hug. "Stevie! Oh, thank god. I've missed you! And you've come to save me! My knight in spangly armour!" She rambled into his chest, feeling his arms circle her body to return the embrace.

Daphne could feel Steve's chest rumble as he chuckled fondly. "I don't know about _that_."

She pulled back with an expression of mock hurt. "How dare you. Don't ruin my hopes and dreams."

He just grinned at her, making her finally release the laugh she was holding in.

"It's good to see you, Daph," he told her in a soft voice, ruffling her hair affectionately.

"Team Spangles are together again!" She cheered happily.

They heard a sharp exhale and turned their attention to the Director. "If you're finished," Fury sneered at them.

They both turned back towards Fury, Hill, Natasha and Clint. Steve gave the two assassins a nod of greeting, which they returned, before going into 'Captain America' mode. The pair both sat down at the long conference table, Steve to the right of Daphne, and looked up at Fury to continue.

The Director brought up a picture, on the monitor in front of them, of a thin, grey-haired man with spectacles. She started to fumble with the chain around her neck. A pit formed in Daphne's stomach when she saw the picture, and was dragged down into the depths of memory lane.

》》 ** _Seventeen years earlier_**

 _A seven year old Daphne was sat on the family sofa, drawing a picture of the forest that was, for all intents and purposes, her back-garden. Their cabin-style, two-storey house was surrounded by thick patches of trees which made the perfect scene for the little mutant to draw._

 _Since Daphne had been practically isolated from the outside world, she had been given all the free time in the world to build up her artistic skills. Of course, she was home-schooled as well though. Her parents wouldn't leave her uneducated._

 _She was adding tone to the trees when she heard voices. She immediately recognised the first two as her parents' but the third was unknown to her. She could hear that the person was a male and had a strong accent that was unfamiliar to her._

 _She padded down to where she could hear the voices coming from, poking her head round the corner of the corridor she was in._

 _Her parents and the mystery man were inside the kitchen. Her mum looked a mixture of worried and angry, and she couldn't see her father's face as his back was to her. The unknown man was thin and had brown hair with quite pretty hazel eyes. He had an expression of hope on his face._

 _"Please," the man was saying. "She could help us so much."_

 _Her mother shook her head with her arms crossed tightly. "She's a child, not a weapon at your disposal."_

 _"But she's incredibly powerful, as you've witnessed. Especially for her age."_

 _"Luis," her father began. "Our daughter is not for sale. Please try to understand that."_

 _They were talking about her? Why? The man, Luis, had mentioned her being powerful. So, were they talking about her weird abilities?_

 _"Can I at least speak to her? I would very much like to meet her."_

 _Daphne's parents exchanged glances before nodding reluctantly, starting to walk towards the direction that they thought their daughter was in._

 _The small mutant's eyes widened and she quickly ran back to where she was originally, picking up her sketch pad and throwing herself back onto the sofa, pretending to draw._

 _The three adults made their way into the living room and Daphne looked up at them expectantly. Luis crouched down in front of her with a look of tenderness and... awe?_

 _"It's a pleasure to meet you, Daphne." He smiled at her. "My name's Luis."_

 _She tilted her head to the side, trying to decipher the man in front of her. "Hello," she greeted timidly._

 _Luis grinned at her. "You're a very special girl, I understand. Hopefully, when you're older, you'd like to help me."_

 _"Help with what?" She asked, confused, noticing the worried looks exchanged by her parents. Then she remembered her mothers words 'not a weapon'._

 _"Well, there are other people out there who are like you. They're also special like you, like me."_

 _"You can do stuff too?"_

 _He nodded softly._ _He held his palm us towards the small girl, making sure she was concentrating on his hand. She watched in amazement as his hand projected a bright light._

 _"I can manipulate and project light," he explained as he allowed the light to travel up his arm._

 _Daphne seemed entranced by the light, mostly relieved that there were other people like her. "It's so pretty," she whispered in wonder._

 _"Nowhere near as beautiful as what you can do, my dear."_

 _She glanced up to his face when the light disappeared, waiting for him to elaborate, but he didn't. Instead, he stood up and with a soft 'goodbye' to Daphne and a few quick words with her parents, he left._

 _The young girl stayed sitting on the sofa, looking at her own hands now, pondering on the man's strange words._

》》 **Present day**

"Luis," Daphne whispered, not believing her eyes.

Everyone in the room stopped to stare at her then. Fury and Hill seemed suspicious, Clint was shocked, Natasha was expressionless to the untrained eye, but Daph could see the surprise, and Steve was confused.

She cleared her throat, averting her eyes from their probing gazes, especially Steve's.

Fury broke the uncomfortable lapse. "This is Luis Eichenberg. Fifty-six years old and born in Germany. It is reported that he had developed extra abilities at a young age and we've received Intel recently that he's been starting a mutant army." He glanced at Daphne as he said that, much to her annoyance. "His abilities are unknown to us, at the moment."

Daphne couldn't believe what she was hearing. A mutant army?

"What is the Intel based off of? This could just be a rumour," she suggested, not wanting to think of the impacts that would arise, should an army of mutants be created.

Fury looked at her with an unreadable expression. "We have a reliable source situated inside of the network."

Daphne raised an eyebrow at the vague answer, deciding to move on to her next question. "Do we know _why_ he's creating an army?" She asked the Director, trying to ignore the - almost - accusing looks he was giving her.

"Apparently he's not too fond on the human race. But maybe you know a bit better, judging by the look on your face."

The female mutant sighed heavily. "I met him once-"

"Why didn't you say anything when it happened?" Hill demanded.

"Oh, _maybe_ because I was _seven_." She paused with a light exhale. "He was talking to my parents about wanting me to help him with something; he wouldn't explain what. Judging by his desperation, I assumed it was important."

"Do you know of his mutant power?" Natasha asked her.

"He has the ability to manipulate and project light energy," she answered honestly.

"Doesn't sound too dangerous," Clint scoffed.

Daphne chuckled, though it had an edge to it. "Don't be fooled by how it sounds. He could easily blind you with excessive amounts of light. And _then_ what use are you?"

Fury intervened before any more could be said. "We don't know how vast his network is, so we want you two to find out and then dismantle it," he told Daphne and Steve.

Steve looked affronted at this information while the mutant woman burst out laughing. "You want _us_ to destroy an extensive mutant army network? _Just_ us two?"

"I believe you're both capable," Nick told them.

"And I appreciate the compliment, but, like you just said, we don't know how large it is. I don't know if you know this, but a _lot_ of mutants resent humans for how they have been treated. That's going to result in a _huge_ scale for us to work with. They probably have networks within networks."

"This is a serious threat."

"If it's so serious, then why not call in _all_ of the Avengers. Or get more of your agents involved."

Agent Hill, Natasha, Clint and Steve were giving her an obvious look that roughly meant 'Fury's going to kill you'.

"It's not a _worldwide_ problem yet. And we have to remain inconspicuous. Sending in dozens of SHIELD agents would raise suspicion."

"And sending two known _Avengers_ isn't at all 'suspicious'?" She asked sarcastically.

"You'll be undercover."

She scoffed. "That makes it _so_ much better, does it?"

"You're a mutant with the ability to change illusions into reality. You can disguise yourself and Rogers."

Daphne stared at the SHIELD Director with disbelieving eyes. "I can't hold two majorly powerful disguises for long," she told him.

"You'll only have to hold them whenever you're with a mutant of the network."

"And if that's for a whole day?"

"Then make an excuse to leave. It shouldn't be too much of a problem for you."

"That's a shitty explanation and you know it," she spat at him.

"Well, that's the only one you're getting," he replied with finality, speaking with just as much amount of venom.

"No, you're not listening to me. This is reckless!" She yelled at the stubborn director, gesturing wildly as she spoke.

"Recklessness is necessary when dealing with forces larger than us!" He retorted harshly.

They both glared at eachother in a way that would've made a normal person cry. The other occupants of the room even looked uncomfortable at the argument between the director and the mutant.

Steve cleared his throat, seeming to try and bring the subject back to the mission.

Agent Hill picked up and where Fury last left off. "Eichenberg was last seen in Moscow, Russia. That's where you'll be going."

"A plane will be taking off in an hour and a half. A SHIELD vehicle will take you to the airport once you're ready. Go back home and pack warm, the winters can be quite brutal. Remember your weapons. Oh, and SHIELD also has a top hotel suite ready for you two, so you don't have to worry about accommodation," Natasha added.

Daphne closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Who are we going under as?"

"You'll be going as husband and wife. Say hello to Lucas and Lilia Ross, multi-billionaire mutants with an interest in what Eichenberg is trying to achieve." Clint explained as he dropped two files onto the table in front of the pair. "Inside is everything you'll need. Information for your cover story, wedding rings, and all that jazz."

Daphne noticed that Steve had pulled out the passport that was inside of his file, and saw him becoming thoroughly confused when he saw that the picture was of someone who looked nothing like himself.

"That's who we're going undercover as, and that's also why we need illusions," she clarified, giving him a small smile which he returned.

"Uh, one problem though," the super-solider began in concern. "I'm not a mutant."

"With your enhanced physical aspects and senses, you could pass as one," Agent Hill told him with a blank expression.

Steve and Daphne exchanged glances, nodding in a mutual agreement of understanding.

"There's a Gala you'll be attending once you're settled in," Natasha told them, handing them another file which contained information about the SHIELD asset. "You'll meet the contact there, where he'll give you any information you may need. Try to schmooze your way into their good books - it would be advantageous for you both."

"Anything else?" Captain questioned the agents.

"Good luck," Fury told them.

The two stood up from their seats with a nod to their superiors, and left the room, letting the door close behind them. They both looked at eachother and let out small smiles before Daphne decided to break the tension.

"See? I always knew we had a connection," she joked, nudging his arm with her own.

He grinned down at her, shrugging his shoulders nonchalantly. "It's fate, I guess," he joined it, chuckling.

"We should get ready. See you in a bit," she told him, giving him a side hug which he quickly returned.

They both left SHIELD's headquarters to see two SUVs outside. Steve went into one while Daphne went into the other, and they each went back to their apartments to pack for the mission.

 _Well, at least I can say that I'm married to Cap_ , Daphne thought and then proceeded to laugh out loud, causing the agent, driving, to look back at her oddly.

 ** _End of chapter. I'm so so so so sorry, I promised action in this update but it ended up too long. Their mission will start in the next chapter. I hope you all enjoyed. Thank you to all who have reviewed, followed or favourited either me or the story. You're all awesome!_**

 ** _Also I'm going to start replying to reviews starting with the next chapter. I started a while ago but stopped because... well, I have no excuse._**

 ** _Love you guys_**

 ** _-Jess xo_**


	18. The Master of Deduction and Deception

The Master of Deduction and Deception

 _LaGuardia Airport. New York. Day._ _ **Steve**_

The standard SHIELD black SUV had parked outside of the large airport, allowing Steve to get out and quickly grab his suitcase and bag from the trunk. His gaze scanned the bustling crowd of people, trying to spot a familiar brunette woman.

"Looking for someone?" A sweet feminine voice asked him.

He turned around, smirking when he saw Daphne grinning at him innocently. She was wearing something similar to him; a grey sweater, dark jeans and a pair of black, combat-style boots. The only difference between their outfits was that Steve's sweater was navy instead of grey.

"Actually yes, she's a close friend of mine and looks a _lot_ like you, funnily enough. I don't suppose that you've seen her?"

She feigned a look of deep thought, putting a hand to her chin and humming. "Unfortunately, no. I haven't, but I'll let you know if I do."

"Much appreciated," he thanked her.

They both looked at each other for a moment before they started laughing like children. "A close _friend,_ eh? I'm insulted. We're meant to be married, _remember_?" She scolded.

"How could I forget?" He joked, playfully.

She pulled him into a one-armed hug, by his waist. "Aw, come on, Stevie. You _know_ you love me."

Steve's face started to heat up, for some reason unknown to him, but brushed it off with a small chuckle, ruffling her soft hair as he pulled away, much to her apparent dismay.

"Hey," she cried out indignantly, smoothing down her auburn tresses. "Don't ruin the perfection."

"Oh, no. God _forbid_ I should ruin the perfection," he agreed dramatically, causing Daphne to start laughing again.

She picked up a duffel bag, that was on the ground next to her, and lifted up the handle of a suitcase, looking up at him with a dazzling smile. "Let's go, pretty boy. We got a plane to catch."

Steve grabbed his own luggage and followed her as she entered the large building, navigating her way through. They stopped at a desk and Daphne smiled at the man behind it, quietly murmuring something to him. She then gave him their names and showed him the passports, waiting as he gave her the tickets. The mutant woman put both hers and Steve's suitcase on the conveyor belt, next to the desk. She thanked the man and turned to give Steve his ticket.

The brunette glanced up at the large screen showing the aeroplane times, muttering to herself. "Okay, we've got ten minutes until the plane leaves. We'd better get to our terminal."

The soldier nodded and kept close to her as they made their way to Terminal C. He then realised that they still looked like themselves and gently tugged Daphne back, halting her. She looked back at him in question, hiking her duffel bag up higher on her shoulder.

He voiced his concerns. "We're not covered by your illusion."

"It's fine. SHIELD will fake records showing a Lucas and Lilia Ross getting on a plane to Moscow," she stated mysteriously. "Anyway, not everybody here is what they seem."

He caught on quickly. "That worker behind the desk? He was an agent?"

Daphne nodded, smirking. "There are multiple agents here, making sure we get onto the plane without a hitch." When Steve gave her a look of disbelief, she carried on. "How else can we get a duffel bag of weapons onto an aeroplane?" She asked rhetorically, gesturing towards her own bag.

He chuckled at her words, hearing the truth ring through, before grabbing her hand and pulling her towards the terminal.

As the pair had reached the gatehouse, they stopped in front of the metal detectors. Steve noticed that Daphne was discreetly looking around for an agent, her eyes lighting up in recognition as she saw a young woman next to one of the large machines.

They had placed all metallic items onto a conveyor belt, inconspicuously giving the duffle bags to the agent, without anyone realising, so that they wouldn't be scanned through.

The mutant and soldier swiftly walked through the detectors and picked up their bags, making their way towards the gate. As the two got closer to the terminal, they noticed that people were already going onto the plane.

Daphne and Steve stopped next to the gate which would lead to their aeroplane and showed the tickets to the 'worker' - who just _happened_ to be another SHIELD agent.

They were allowed through the gate and walked through the Jetway towards the plane. Steve allowed his companion to enter the plane first, holding an arm out. She smiled at his polite behaviour. "Well, I see chivalry isn't dead yet."

Once they had boarded, they were kindly gestured to where their seats would be - towards the back of the jet, apparently.

Steve was amazed by the deluxe interior of the aircraft, not thinking that it would look this grand. Daphne glanced back towards him and chuckled at his awed expression.

"First Class," she told him in explanation. "SHIELD doesn't shy away on the price."

The super-solider could only nod as they maneuvered their way to the back, taking in the large plush seats with wide TV's in front of them - civilian passengers talking animatedly as they waited for take-off.

The two Avengers made it to the back of the jet and Daphne had opened a door that led into a large room, that contained a few sofas and a large television, with a coffee table and even a bar.

The mutant woman plopped down heavily on one of the white sofas, dumping her duffel bag onto the table in front. Steve placed his own bag on top, opening it and pulling out a thick file that was identical to Daphne's.

"So then," she began with a grin. "Let's begin, shall we?"

The next few hours, between them, was spent vigorously revising over their cover stories and facts, not wanting there to be any gaps in the intricately-designed lie. They had placed their fake wedding rings on, preparing for when they started the descent into Moscow.

Steve looked over at Daphne tiredly, double-taking when he saw her. He had been so absorbed in what he was reading that he had not noticed her lie upside-down on the sofa whilst playing around with an easily-concealed blade, her hair trailing to the floor, surrounded by piles of paper. She looked like she was about to pass out at any minute, making him worry about the knife in her fumbling hands.

She accidentally dropped the blade on the floor - much to Steve's delight - looking at it with a sort-of longing gaze, apparently too lazy to pick it up. Instead, she grabbed, what looked to be, a photo from next to her and squinted, analysing it, muttering to herself as she frowned. "Steve, does this look like a squirrel to you?" She asked, exhaustion slurring her words slightly.

The woman showed him the paper she was holding, revealing one of the pictures SHIELD had managed to gain through heavy, undercover surveillance. It was of several men moving large crates - of weapons, most likely. But in no way did it look like the woodland creature she spoke of.

"Go to sleep, Daph," Steve told her softly, smiling at her delirium.

"I don't wanna," she whined, pouting as she crossed her arms in childish defiance, still sat upside-down.

"You need sleep."

She raised an eyebrow. "Says who?"

"Me."

"Are you worried?" She asked randomly after a pause, throwing Steve off-guard.

"About what?"

"About the mission."

He paused in his reply, not knowing if he felt worried about it or not. Sure, it seemed like a difficult mission, but was there really anything about it that troubled him?

"No," he decided with confident finality.

Daphne just chuckled at his answer. "So you mean to say that we're both about to face a large group of mutants, that hate the human race and have incredible powers, and you're not concerned at _all_?"

"Well, when you put it like that it sounds quite bad," he laughed.

"That's because it _is_. It's like me saying that I'm going to jump inside an active volcano but I'm not going to die."

"Completely different circumstances, Daph," he reminded her, chuckling.

She remained quiet for a moment, making Steve wonder what was going on in her strange but intriguing mind.

"But seriously though," she started. "Does this look like a squirrel?" She asked whilst laughing, holding up the photo that she had been staring at previously.

Steve shook his head in amused fondness. "You should get some sleep, Daph."

"Nope," the mutant replied, popping the 'p'.

"Not this again," he groaned. "Can you not be difficult, please?"

"I don't think I have that ability," she answered, smirking.

"You should learn it."

The two stared at each other for a long moment, neither wanting to concede defeat.

"I will never give in. I will always be hyper-aware and vigilant," Daphne warned him.

"Don't be too sure about that," he replied, his lips quirking upwards in a smirk. "You look like you're about to fall unconscious."

"Maybe that's what I _want_ you to think," she countered. "I'm a female version of Sherlock Holmes, my dear Watson. A master at deduction and deception."

Steve just looked at her, wondering about her mental stability. Though he was pleased to realise that he knew who Sherlock Holmes was. "There are some big differences between you two though. Like how he's _male_ and also a _fictional_ character."

"Ah, but the little things are infinitely the most important," she quoted smugly, rubbing her eyes. "And anyway, Sherlock _is_ real. He's just in the body of Benedict Cumberbatch."

"Isn't that a TV show?"

"Well, I wouldn't call it that considering it only has three episodes in a series," she mumbled out, blinking rapidly as if to keep awake.

"Same thing."

"Pot-a-to, pot-ah-to," she slurred.

"Sleep," he told her again, not backing down despite her drunkard-like behaviour.

"Sleep, those little slices of death - how I _loathe_ them."

"Daphne-"

"Sleep no more! Macbeth does murder sleep!" She cried out dramatically, flinging her arms outwards.

Steve exhaled in pure exasperation, throwing his hands up in the air. He leaned back on the sofa, closing his eyes and reveling in the silence. After a few minutes, he risked a look towards the eccentric mutant, letting out a sigh of relief when he saw that she was asleep.

He took this moment to just watch her as she slept, her face completely relaxed. People say that you look younger as you sleep, and Daph was no exception to that. She seemed so innocent and pure, which contrasted greatly to when she was awake.

The super-soldier frowned at the uncomfortable angle she was sleeping at - which happened to be upside-down. He got up and gently picked her up, being careful not to jostle her too much. She was very light, he noticed - sparking tinges of anxiety in his mind. _Does she eat enough?_

He carefully placed her back onto the sofa, laying her head down slowly before finding a warm blanket and draping it over her unconscious form.

Steve brushed a piece of hair away from her face softly, smiling at the sleeping young woman. It was times like these when he wondered about the extent of their relationship. Could they be something more? He felt... different, when he was with her and, for a brief moment, he was reminded of Peggy. Sure, he had felt something for the strong dame he knew back in the 40's but never really had the chance to pursue it. Now, he had another opportunity. The question was; would he act upon it?

》》》》》》

 _Moscow. Evening._ _ **Daphne**_

Daphne felt herself being shaken softly, her name being called in a gentle but firm tone. She mumbled sleepily and snuggled inwards, effectively curling into a ball. _Like a cat,_ she thought ironically. _Tony would be pleased._

Cue more shaking. She exhaled in annoyance and tried to slowly peel open her reluctant eyes, squinting at the sudden burst of light. The mutant waited for her blurry eyesight to clear to a - somewhat - normal level, before focusing in on the person who had so rudely awoken her.

She caught a glimpse of deep, luscious blue eyes and soft blonde hair. The artificial lights, from around them, made the man in front of her look sort of angelic. _Is this Heaven?_

The man let out a rich laugh. "No, it's Earth, Daph," he told her in a deep voice.

 _Oh crap, did I say that out loud? And how does this angel know my name?_

"Yes, you did. And I'm no angel." He sounded like he was smiling.

Daphne frowned tiredly, wondering why the man's voice sounded familiar. She closed her eyes again, rubbing them before trying to actually focus on her surroundings. She noticed several small, circular windows set at regular intervals along the large room she was in - showing that it was about late evening. There were a few sofas and an expensive-looking TV. She rested her eyes on the male before her, her now-unclouded vision revealing the man who she just thought was an angel. Steve.

 _Of course. Just my amazing, freaking luck._

Said angel was currently sporting a massive grin on his handsome face, making her run a hand through her hair, trying to hide her utter embarrassment.

"Rise and shine, sleeping beauty," Steve said, a hint of laughter in his voice.

"No!" She groaned, stretching out whilst making small, whiny sounds.

She hoped dearly that he would not mention what she had apparently said in her semi-conscious state. But, unfortunately fate was not so generous to her.

"So I'm an _angel_ now?"

She didn't even have to look at him to know that he probably had a smug smirk on his face at her inadvertent admission. So, she decided to keep her flaming face hidden from his eyes that was probably filled with amusement.

"Please, Steve. I was drunk on sleep. You can't hold anything that I may or may not have said, against me."

"What happened to being 'hyper-aware and vigilant'?" He jibed playfully, quoting what she had said a few hours earlier.

"It went out of the window with my pride," she muttered in a low voice, though knowing that the super-soldier could still hear her.

"Come on, Daph," he said lightly, seeming to cover a chuckle before removing her hands from her face and pulling her up swiftly, into a seated position.

Daphne sighed softly, trying to forget the mortifying experience she just had to endure. "So, why did you wake me up anyway? You disrupted my dream of never-ending chocolate," she asked, feigning a pout. She had lied about the dream of chocolate. In actuality, her unconsciousness was taunted with coal-black eyes. She minutely grimaced as she remembered, not wanting to dwell upon it for too long.

"We're about five minutes away until we land at the airport."

"So, what you're saying is that, you woke me up when I could've had five more minutes of sleep?"

"Pretty much, yep," he answered bluntly.

Daphne shook her head with an expression of mock disgust. "Wow. You are pure evil."

"How can I be evil when I'm an angel?" Steve quipped, trying to smother his laughter.

"Lucifer was an angel," she pointed out to him. But seeing the smug expression on his face, she just looked up towards the ceiling, sighing softly and then spoke to no one in particular. "I will never hear the end of this."

"It'd be worse if Stark found out about this," he told her, chuckling at her forlorn expression, which quickly morphed into downright horror.

"No! Steven Grant Rogers, I _forbid_ you to even mention what I said. And if you do, I will make your life _very_ uncomfortable."

The soldier raised an eyebrow at her. "Don't you do that anyway?"

She grinned widely, quickly forgetting his threat. "Ah, _sassy_. You're learning."

"Well, I have the best teacher-"

"Aw, Steve. That's so sweet of you," she gushed, waving her hand as if to brush off the compliment.

"-which is Stark of course," he finished jokingly. _Say what now?_

This wiped the beaming smile off her face, of course, and it was soon replaced with a scowl.

"Okay, Stevie-poo-" she started with a finger pointed at him.

" _Never_ call me that," he interrupted, grimacing at the name.

But Daphne soldiered on, ignoring his request completely. "-if _that's_ how you wanna play, then that's what you'll get. But I warn you, I am the sass-master."

"Maybe it's time for a new one," he retorted.

 _Challenge accepted._

Daphne crossed her arms. "Bring it on, Stevie. Bring it _on_."

Their staring match was broken by the disembodied voice of a female flight attendant. _"Please can all passengers take their seats and make sure to buckle their seatbelts. We are about to start our descent to Domodedovo International Airport, Moscow."_

The message was repeated in several different languages for the benefit of people who did not speak English as Daphne and Steve sat on two separate, comfy chairs and buckled up.

The plane landed quickly onto the airport strip and, as the passengers started to pile out of the aeroplane, Daphne prepared to place the illusion on the both of them.

"Okay, we don't know if Eichenberg has people inside of the airport to check if Lucas and Lilia Ross has arrived, so I'm going to start the disguises now, just to be safe."

Steve nodded in agreement and seemed to unconsciously tense up, making the mutant woman laugh.

"It's not going to hurt, Steve."

She closed her eyes and pictured the images of their aliases, starting with Steve's. Lucas Ross had dark blonde hair that must have been expensive to style, forest green eyes and a well-defined jawbone. He didn't seem to have any physical flaws. _Of course_ , Daphne mentally scoffed. Even in the image, he exuded an air of arrogance and a need for attention that probably stemmed from an unhappy childhood.

 _How the hell did SHIELD make these people so realistic?_ She wondered, knowing that they must have used some kind of advanced technology to create the fake personas.

A mass of golden swirls engulfed Steve and Daphne as she conjured the façade, morphing their regular features into the artificially-made ones.

She then focused onto Lilia Ross, who had deep chocolate coloured hair, so dark it could almost be mistaken for black, and stormy grey eyes that seemed incapable of showing any emotion - other than a steely glare.

After maybe a minute or two, Daphne Collins and Steve Rogers were gone - now replaced with Lilia and Lucas Ross, multi-billionaires. The young mutant had also disguised their clothes so that they were now wearing warm, winter outfits that looked as expensive as a gold mine. _The perks of being me._

Steve - Lucas - looked down at his new body, and then at her, in awe. "Woah," he said in a slightly higher voice than his usual, but still masculine nevertheless.

"Ready to kick some butt?" Daphne - Lilia - asked her now-husband. Her voice was deeper but very clear and soft.

"As ready as I'll ever be," he replied with a smirk.

 _Kickasscanadiandaughternumber1;_ _Thank you so much, and I quite enjoy Daphne's humour - it's a lot like my own. And to be honest, I have no clue how they're gonna get together yet - still working on that. But if you have any awesome ideas, please let me know. And I'm very glad that you love my story *gives big hug*_

 _Guest;_ _I'm glad that you love their relationship. I tried my best not to rush anything to make it seem a bit more realistic. And thank you, I'm working on my next chapter now._

 _ **I'm a terrible person... This is mostly just a filler and It's taken me God-knows-how-long to finish this chapter. I've now realised that I haven't updated in over two weeks. WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH ME?! I apologise profusely for that delay. This chapter has been the bane of my existence and I've had to keep on re-writing.**_

 _ **And I know I promised action, but this chapter would have been waaaaay too long otherwise. I'm sorry again.**_

 _ **Thank you if you have still stuck with this story and I hope you enjoy this chapter despite the delay. Please R &R. **_

_**Love you all,**_

 _ **-Jess xo**_


	19. The Curse of the Russian Receptionist

The Curse of the Russian Receptionist

 _ **Any Russian has been researched on Google Translate. So it's probably wrong! I have put in the phonetic version so it's easier to read and the translations are written next to the phrase. Also about halfway through, I have experimented on using a third POV instead. Let me know what you think!**_

》》》》》》

 _Moscow. Night._ _ **Steve**_

The two Avengers in disguise sat in silence for the majority of the journey to the hotel. Steve figured it was because they didn't really know _what_ to say or that they were too lost in their own thoughts. Well, that's what it felt like to _him_ anyway.

Daphne was driving a new black Jaguar 'something-or-another' - Steve wasn't sure of the exact name - with him sat in the passenger seat.

Steve, rising up to his gentlemanly ways, had offered to drive to the hotel - but Daphne had been adamant that she be the one to drive. She claimed that it was purely for safety reasons, saying that he might not be able to properly control such an advanced car. The super-solider had noticed the excitement in her eyes as she gazed at the car and had easily given up.

The car was, of course, bought by SHIELD so they could keep up the façade of being billionaires. It was an amazing vehicle, Steve could admit, and meant that it wouldn't take them long to get to the hotel.

Steve glanced over towards his mutant friend with an expression akin to worry on his face. Though she was wearing a different face, he could see that her shoulders were slumped and she looked exhausted - despite the sleep she had gotten on the plane.

 _The plane._ The memory of her waking up and calling him an 'angel' almost had him start chuckling again. He could see the mortification on her face once she realised that she had spoken out loud, and automatically thought of it as cute. He started smiling fondly.

"What?" The person, next to him, asked. He still had not gotten used to the new voice that Daph had created.

He turned towards her, seeing a small smile edge its way onto her, artificially-made, features.

"Nothing," he tried to deflect, trying to hide the laugh in his voice.

"So you're smiling at _nothing_? Should I be worried about your mental stability?" She jested lightly, which sent a burst of relief through Steve - she was starting to act like herself again.

"Just something I remembered from earlier," he revealed, hoping that she wouldn't press on. She had been embarrassed enough.

Daphne just raised her eyebrows at the lack of information, but thankfully let it slide. "Okay then," she replied in a sing-song voice.

They lapsed back into a more comfortable silence than before, with Steve staring out the window, watching the street lights quickly pass by. He thought about how much his life had changed since he had awoken from the ice and then looked over towards the woman next to him. _It could be worse._ He then realised that he didn't know a lot about his friend - they never really had the chance to ask each other questions. They had fought in a war, against aliens, together and he didn't even know the _trivial_ things about the young mutant.

"What's your favourite colour?" He blurted out randomly, causing Daph to look at him in surprise.

She stuttered, obviously not expecting the sudden outburst. "Uh-what?"

"What's your favourite colour?" He repeated, slower.

"I-uh-I never really thought about it before. I guess my favourite colour is either purple or white," she considered.

"Why?"

Daphne glanced over at him, before planting her gaze firmly at the road, letting out a quiet yet uneasy laugh. "Okay, onto the _difficult_ questions. Um, I don't know. Maybe because they remind me of evening sunsets and snow." She paused for a moment before chuckling softly. " _God_ , that sounded cliché." She looked over at him warmly. "What about you? What's _your_ favourite colour?"

Steve contemplated the question. He never really took much of a preference when it came to colours. Like Daphne, he had never really thought about it in much detail. "I quite like green and blue," he answered.

Daph smiled, as if mentally agreeing with him. "I was expecting blue and red, Captain," she joked, referring to his classic Captain America suit of blue and red. Steve laughed along with her, the tension in his shoulders leaving him. He didn't even know that he _was_ tense.

The two carried on asking each other questions for the remainder of the journey, laughing at some of the answers the other had given. Steve had also made the mistake of asking her what her favourite film was and realised - very quickly - that she could speak on that subject until the end of the world.

The awkward atmosphere, that had been in the car previously, had completely dissolved... Until Steve had asked a particular question.

"I never did ask; how did you get your scar?"

She froze and forced a laugh out. "Which one?" Something from her tone indicated that she already knew which one he was asking about.

"The one on your face?"

Daphne flinched, eyes glazing over as she continued to drive. Pain flashed across her features so fast that Steve thought he may have imagined it. He felt instantly guilty and was about to apologise, and tell her not to worry about it, when she started speaking - well, _murmuring_. Steve had just managed to hear her - thanks to his enhanced hearing.

"It happened when I was about six or seven," she told him.

"Clumsy child?" He asked, though knowing that being clumsy would not have caused her to look so forlorn.

"Not exactly," she chuckled humourlessly. "As you already know, when I was younger, I wasn't really able to control my ' _ahem'_ powers very well - they ran purely on emotion." She stopped, sighing almost inaudibly. _This is painful for her._

"Well, being an inquisitive child with mutant powers isn't really a good combination. I was playing in a local park - my parents were talking to some other adults. I-somehow, had managed to levitate a flower - a daisy. I was so... _enchanted_ by the floating flower, being me." Daphne smiled briefly. "But of course, I wasn't the _only_ one who noticed it. There was a group of kids - maybe eleven or twelve - who had witnessed what I had done."

Steve noticed that she spoke as if she had committed a crime - not doing something that she could naturally do.

"They had also - obviously - heard about the _'impending mutant apocalypse'_ ," she let of a small laugh, shaking her head. "So-uh-they had decided to take matters into their own hands."

Now what did _that_ mean? Steve wasn't sure that he was going to like what came out of her mouth next.

Daphne glanced over at him - seeing the expression of understanding and horror that was undoubtedly etched onto his face - and gave him a reassuring smile. _She_ gave _him_ a reassuring smile? Why would _she_ need to reassure _him_? _He_ hadn't had to go through this. With this thought in Steve's mind, he grabbed her hand tightly - squeezing it gently once he saw her surprise.

"They had started to yell, blabbering on about how I would kill someone, given the chance - pointing at me in disgust. And people had started to back away... From a _six_ year old." She spoke in an almost inaudible voice, still clinging onto his hand. "And so the kids had picked up a broken glass bottle that they had found-and just, threw it at my face."

Steve stared at her for a silent minute, images of a young, scared girl being treated like a wild animal. He felt rage building up through his body, not understanding how people could do that to her.

Daphne let out a breathless laugh which filled up the heavy silence that engulfed the two. "Well, it makes for a badass looking scar."

The super-soldier felt something similar to sadness replace the anger that he had felt. Daphne seemed to be so used to how she had been treated, that she uses humour as a defence mechanism. _She shouldn't have to be used to it. No-one should._

》》》》》》

 _Four Seasons Hotel. Moscow. Night. **3rd POV**_

It had started to rain in the city of Moscow as the two superheroes arrived at their destination. Daphne pulled up at the road curb and looked up towards the grand-looking hotel with a small smile on her face, thinking that SHIELD really doesn't hold back on prices.

She glanced towards the soldier, who was probably thinking the same, before opening the car door and stepping out into the cool, night air - ignoring the light rain that fell onto her skin. They both went around to the back of the car to collect their luggage.

Two young workers, both around the age of twenty, approached the pair. One of them had offered to park the car somewhere a bit more safe, to which Daphne had accepted graciously. The other proceeded to haul their bags inside of the hotel. They probably had realised that they were big-paying customers.

Steve moved to stand next to mutant, looking at the large structure and then down at her. "Ready?"

"As I'll ever be," he replied in the unfamiliar voice of Lucas Ross. Daphne had almost forgotten that they were undercover.

She reached out and took his arm, leading him towards the entrance of the hotel, holding her head up to make herself seem like a confident businesswoman.

The pair entered the lavish building cautiously, eyes surreptitiously scanning the lobby for any signs of impending threats. Daphne's gaze levelled in on a blonde, middle-aged man who was sitting on one of the plush couches and held onto a newspaper, flicking through the pages too fast to actually be reading it. The man lifted his eyes to hold her gaze, stunning her with a short, inaudible gasp.

 _Black eyes._ Daphne wondered what the hell was happening. First the guy in the elevator, who had unkindly stalked her to the bathroom - _creep_ \- and now this man. She unconsciously rubbed her right forearm where the scarred handprint would be if she wasn't disguised.

Steve had felt her stiffen and placed a hand in the crook of her elbow, squeezing it slightly. He followed her gaze to the man, furrowing his eyebrows as he looked.

Steve thought that the man seemed... _off_. He had a hard glint of malice shining in his eyes - making the super-soldier pull Daphne closer to him as he realised that the look was directed at her.

"Come on," he softly murmured to her, snapping her out of her thoughts. Daphne noticed that their bags were by the reception desk.

They made their way towards the marble counter, where a young, brunette woman - whose nametag stated that her name was 'Katerina' - was idly typing away on a computer. When she noticed the two, she beamed at them brightly, though it was aimed at Steve - aka, Lucas. The worker's smile turned sickly when she looked over at Daphne, giving her a quick once-over before settling her attention back onto the mutant's companion.

Any thoughts of the creepy man had completely dissipated as soon as the woman opened her mouth.

"What can I do for you?" She asked Steve in a sultry voice, her Russian accent prominent.

Daphne couldn't help but think that if this woman saw who 'Lucas' really was then her reaction would be much worse... Like 'swooning' worse. It was in her opinion that Steve was much more handsome than the man he was currently portraying - which was exemplified by the fact that his personality was just as beautiful as he was. So Daphne settled with glaring at the woman who sat at the desk. If questioned about it later, she would simply say that she was maintaining her cover... Yep, nothing to do with the overwhelming, bubbling possessiveness that she felt... Nothing at all.

Steve was just as uncomfortable with the attention he had gained from 'Katerina' - though for a different reason- who was flipping her hair subtly and grinning up at him in a flirtatious way. The super-soldier had been fawned over once or twice, back in the 40s after the serum, but that still didn't ease the awkwardness he felt around women. Especially the adoring ones. He figured that the only women he was truly at ease with was Daphne and Peggy. Maybe because they actually treated him like a human and not an object or weapon. He glanced over towards Daph, double-taking once he saw the glare that she was giving the worker. _She looks terrifying,_ he thought, feeling a bit sorry for the person at the end of her look.

And it was obvious that Katerina also found the glare scary, judging by the way she seemed to shrink back slowly. The mutant smothered the laugh that was threatening to leave her lips, and instead just smirked at the woman.

"We have a suite under the name of 'Ross'," Steve answered in a polite voice, mentally grimacing at what Daphne might have said to her, given half the chance.

Katerina smiled blindingly at him, and typed the name into the computer system - glancing up at the soldier every few seconds. _I think I just threw up,_ Daphne thought disgustedly, regarding the receptionist's poor attempts at remaining sneaky and her behaviour when presented with a good-looking man... Who was _married_ as well.

"Oh, yes. Here it is. The 'Grand Premier Suite' for Lucas and Lila-"

"It's Lilia," Daphne told her in annoyance. "There's an 'I' in the name, if you didn't realise." Steve supressed a chuckle at the glowering mutant.

"Sorry," Katerina sneered, not sounding very apologetic.

"Can I turn her into a toad? Or maybe a slug?" She muttered to Steve, quiet enough that the aggravating person couldn't hear her.

He just shook his head, the action was too small for the receptionist to catch, resulting in a small sigh from Daph. The situation was incredibly amusing to him, though he wouldn't let himself show it at that moment. He briefly wondered what was going through her intriguing yet strange mind - and then realised that he probably wouldn't want to know.

"Can we just have the room number and key?" Daphne asked through gritted teeth, before tacking on a very reluctant; "Please."

Katerina shifted in her chair, quickly rushing to a room in the back, presumably to find their key.

The couple stayed in silence for a few seconds. "Well, I have never met anybody more annoying," Daphne stated conversationally, though Steve guessed that she was secretly screaming profanities after the receptionist.

And he'd be right. Daphne had not stopped mentally cursing said _person_ since she had the privilege of hearing 'Katerina's' _beautiful_ voice. Note the sarcasm - it's hard to miss.

Just to her luck, her new best friend 'Kat', had blessed them with her return.

The receptionist practically shoved the keys into Daphne's hands, bitterly, before turning to Steve. Of course, her expression morphed into a pleasant one as soon as she looked 'Lucas'.

"Room 1045. It's on the tenth floor. I hope you enjoy your stay," she gushed out to him, making him feel very awkward. The female Avenger rolled her eyes and pretended to be checking the time on her imaginary watch - yawning loudly, earning the two other people to look at her. Only one of their gazes held laughter, however uncomfortable it may be. "I could show you to the room, if you like." Oh hell no.

"Thank you." _Ouch, that hurt to say_. "But I'm sure we'll be fine," Daphne told her clearly.

Katerina's eyes wandered back to the male. "If there's anything _you_ need, just let me know." Neither of them missed how she emphasised the word 'you'.

Steve gently took Daphne's arm and - after saying a brief 'thanks' - they started walking towards the elevators. But not before an - unfortunately - irritating voice caught their attention. They turned back around to face Daphne's mortal enemy, not making a move back towards her.

"If you ever get bored of _anything,"_ cue glance at Daphne, "I'll always be around." World War three has officially begun.

The mutant smiled up at her 'husband'. "Stay here for a moment, honey." She said in a sweet, innocent voice - kissing his cheek quickly. He forced down the blush that tried to get to the surface of his face.

Before he had a chance to reply she was already heading back towards the desk. _This can't end well._

As Daphne approached the soon-to-be toad, she noticed that the woman had a small look of fear now that Steve wasn't there. _Good_. She leant her hands against the marble counter and glared.

She decided to go down the Russian route. Thank God she had taken the time to learn the language - it also helped that Natasha like talking to someone in her native language.

 _"i snova zdravstvuyte," **{Hello again}** _ She started in a fake, happy voice, before completely dropping the façade and giving her a deadly look. _"Derzhites' podal'she ot moyego muzha." **{Stay away from my husband}**_

Daphne saw that the receptionist was taken aback either by the language change or the ferociousness in her voice, but that didn't deter the annoying lady from talking.

 _"Ili chto?" **{Or what?}**_ She spat back.

The mutant drew closer to the woman and chuckled darkly. _"Ne stoit nedootsenivat' menya. Vy ponyatiya ne imeyete, na chto ya sposoben." **{Don't underestimate me. You have no idea what I'm capable of}.**_ The receptionist's eyes widened as her breathing became slightly elevated. _"I pover'te mne, kogda ya govoryu, chto ya mogu unichtozhit' tebya." **{And believe me when I say that I can destroy you}**_

Okay, _maybe_ Daphne was playing off of Katerina's fear. And _maybe_ she was enjoying it... But she had to get her point across somehow. And what better way than a well delivered threat in a murderous tone whilst speaking Russian. It was the perfect opportunity.

Steve watched in concealed amusement as his 'wife' scowled and leaned her hands against the marble counter, glaring at the receptionist in distaste. He could hear them speaking but, considering it was in a foreign language, he didn't know exactly what they were saying. Steve guessed that Daphne was probably threatening the poor girl and, by watching their interaction, he assumed that he guessed right.

He was pulled out of his thoughts when Daphne strode up to him, looking satisfied with herself. They made their way to the elevators and Steve pressed the button that would call the machine down.

"Do I want to know what was said?" He asked her, chuckling.

"Probably not, no."

They both stepped into one of the elevators, once it had opened, and started the ascent up to floor ten. The silence didn't last long until they both started chuckling at what had transpired with the annoying receptionist.

"I wish you would've let me turn her into a toad. It could have been a good look for her."

Steve looked at Daph, laughing at her grumbling. "I don't think I've ever seen you get that flustered. Unless it's at Fury."

She crossed her arms with a pout. "Well, you are my husband after all. I gotta protect what's mine." And it was true. Although Steve wasn't actually hers - _I wish_ \- she didn't like the feeling she had just experienced. The overwhelming... _jealousy_. There! She admitted it - to herself, at least. And she shuddered to think about if a pretty girl actually flirted with _Steve -_ not someone he was disguised as. She mentally sighed, hoping that whatever she was feeling would die down a bit. It was actually starting to hurt.

At her words, the soldier felt an unfamiliar emotion run through him and, if he was being honest with himself, he found that he liked being called 'hers'. He pushed down that feeling, reminding himself that they had a mission to do. If anything, he could figure out all of this afterwards. _Doesn't mean it won't be hard._

 _Girlwithnosoul ; Thank you so much. I can safely say that she will definitely run into the creepy dude again - it's all planned out. And I'm looking forward to writing Steve's reaction to it - I think it should be fun._

 _ **Okay... Finished this chapter. Finally. It's a bit of a filler. Again... *starts to sob***_

 _ **I'm a terrible person! I know! It's been waaaaay too long. I've been suffering with a serious illness called "Writer's Block" - yep, you heard me! WRITER'S BLOCK HAS STRUCK! It's been a terrible few weeks with writing something, hating it, and writing again.**_

 _ **I apologise from the bottom of my stone-cold heart and pitch-black soul. I promise the next chapter shouldn't take this long... I am currently free of 'Writer's Block' so fingers crossed.**_

 ** _Let me know if you think I should do more 3rd POV's or not._**

 _ **Thank you to everyone (If anyone) who's patiently waited... You're all awesome!**_

 _ **Love you all,**_

 _ **\- Jess xo**_


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